Orissa to provide best health care in PHCs

Bhubaneswar, Jul 11 (UNI) Orissa will soon provide the best health care facilities at the Primary Health Centre(PHC) and Community Health Centre at the block level in the state soon.

A decision in this regard was taken at the first meeting of the Steering Committee set up to monitor the National Rural Health Missions,here yesterday.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who presided over the meeting, said steps were being taken to provide better health care services in 60 block level PHCs and Community centres.

Such facilities,he said, would be extended to all the PHCs and Community centres at block level during the next five years for which 12,730 recognised social health workers had been imparted necessary training.

Union Health Secretary P K Hota, who also attended the meeting, suggested that gram panchayats be entrusted with the job of monitoring the PHCs and assured that the Centre would provide Rs.33 crores if the state implemented the proposal.

He said the Centre would provide Rs 3 lakhs to each PHC if it was handed over to the gram panchayat and asked the government to implement the scheme in the first phase in the KBK regions.

Mr.Hota disclosed that Norway would provide Rs.80 crores to the Orissa government under the child health programme while the Centre would provide Rs.285 crores this year under the NRHM as against Rs.102 crores sanctioned the previsious year.

UNI DP PL KLC1546