Bihar govt performing well in health sector : Ramadoss

Patna, Nov 10 (UNI) Expressing satisfaction over the Bihar governemnet's performance in the health sector, Union Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss today assured that financial assistance would be given to improve the 'health care facilities' in the state.

After a meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here, Mr Ramadoss told reporters that construction work of All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) in Patna would begin in July next year and was expected to be completed by 2009.

Besides improving the sanitation facilities, the government was according priority to provide safe drinking water to the people as it would help to check spread a number of diseases, he added.

Concerned over the detection of new 39 polio cases in Bihar, he said that as a part of pulse polio eradication programme, kids would be administered polio drops on November 12 and appealed to all concerned to make the mission of the government of 'polio free society' a success.

Mr Ramadoss said steps were being to taken to eradicate Kalazar from Bihar by 2008 and added that required funds and newly developed medicines would be made available to the state to effectively check the disease.

'' I have advised the Bihar government to open new medical colleges and nursing colleges to meet the growing needs in Bihar, '' he stated.

Mr Ramadoss praised the Bihar government for sucessfully executing the health programmes under the National Health Rural Mission and stressed on the importance of the role of self help groups in improving the health care facilities in the state.

Bihar Health Minister Chandramohan Rai said the state government had decided to open four government medical colleges in Patna, Madhepura, Nalanda and West Champaran while no objection certificates had been issued for establishing five private medical colleges in different parts of the state.

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