'Bimaru' states directed to open health resource centres

Bhopal, Jun 28 (UNI) The Centre has directed to set up state health resource centres in eight 'Bimaru' states including Madhya Pradesh to strengthen and improve health services, official resources said today.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh are 'Bimaru' states that are low in terms of health indicators.

The Centre had directed to constitute health resource centres to provide better and prompt medical services as a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

A suggestion had been made to run the proposed centres as autonomous units.

The Centre has written to the state governments that assistance could be taken from the UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), the European Commission and the Department for International Development or some organisations to establish the centres.

Giving an example of Chhattisgarh, the Centre said the health resource centres, which was established with the help of 'Action Aid', had helped in improving health services in that state.

The Centre has established a health resource centre with the help of US aid on the national level, while some north-eastern states had opened regional centres with the help of the European Commission.

The state health resource centres would prove beneficial in effective implementation of health programmes besides improving health services in the state.

Under the NRHM, the Centre makes available financial assistance to 'Bimaru' states for health services. These states had been provided Rs 350-400 crore financial assistance from the Centre. The amount would be increased as per requirement.

UNI GB-PS LS HT1705