Poor absorbing capacity of NE bothers Ramadoss

Guwahati, Nov 8 (UNI) Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today stressed upon ensuring that benefits of the various health schemes, for which Rs 11,000 crore had been earmarked tentatively for the Northeast region for this fiscal, reached the grassroots level.

Expressing concern over the poor absorbing capacity of the health institutions in the region, Mr Ramadoss said besides capacity addition, infrastructure upgradation of the available medical institutions would soon be taken up.

He added that the region will soon witness see plans to develop, conserve and rejuvenate cultivation of medicinal plants for revitalising indigenous systems of medicine.

The Minister was talking to reporters at the end of the two-day review meeting on implementation of various programmmes in health, family welfare and AYUSH sectors in NE. The Union Health and Family Welfare secretaries, along with 35 top officials of the departments, accompanied the Minister.

Besides the officials of the health and other related departments of all NE states, including Sikkim, the respective state health ministers, except Sikkim and Nagaland, were also present.

Mr Ramadoss informed that a first ever Centre of Excellence of Folk Medicine had been proposed under the 11th Plan.

The Institute would come up within two years at an estimated Rs 32-35 crore.

He further informed that an AYUSH educational institute would be set up at NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, with a capital expenditure of Rs 20-25 crore.

He also informed that a package to the tune of Rs 100-150 crore would be given for the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.

'' The extent of the package is yet to be decided. It is expected to take care of all problems of the RIMS, '' he added.

Taking note of rising incidence of cancer cases in the region, the Union Health Minister said Regional Cancer Centres (RCC) would be set up at all NE states with expenditure of Rs 5 crore.

Besides developing the cancer centre at Kolkata on a massive scale to cater to eastern as well as NE states, another would be opened at NEIGRIHMS, he added.

On the UPA government's flagship programme National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Dr Ramadoss said, ''Implementation of the NRHM in NE has been good so far. Reaching all the villages due to their remoteness is a problem here.'' The Union minister informed that 10 per cent of enhanced outlay would be sanctioned every year for health sector. Besides, the states have constitued state and district health missions and all states, except Sikkim, have merged into single entities called State Health and Family Welfare Socities.

He said, ''Of the 84 district level socities, 79 have been merged and 184 of the 216 CHCS has been upgraded.'' Almost all health activists under NRHM, ASHAs, have been selected and training was underway, he added.

Dr Ramadoss said performance of the NE states in preparing District Action Plans and State Project Implementation Plans had not been encouraging.

He said, ''Except for Asom, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur, no other state has submitted Project Implementation Plans.'' The Union health minister informed that the NRHM's Mission Steering Committee had cleared Rs 119 crore for upgradation of GMCH, Rs 52 crore for the 26 nursing schools in NE, Rs 10 crore for the Regional Institute of Ophthalmolgy and Rs 1 crore each for all 84 district hospitals.

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