Karnataka to upgrade health services

Bangalore, Jan 10 (UNI) Karnataka will receive Rs 188 crore under the center sponsored National Rural Health Mission to upgrade the health services and ensure its access to all sections of the society this year.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who chaired the first state council meeting of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) here yesterday, appealed the presidents of the Zilla Panchayaths to ensure the successful implementation of the programme with the active coordination of state officials.

He said the NRHM programme was a major initiative to strengthen the social sector programme and ensure 24 hour health services to the needy. The priorities of the programme among others included reduction of mother-child mortality rates, children immunisation and control of the spread of communicable disease and ensuring access of health services at affordable cost. He exhorted the state machinery to ensure its effective implementation and seek more funds from the centre.

While regretting that most of the programmes which take-off with full steam, however end up as failures due to negligence on the part of the implementing agencies, he said that with well-knit coordination of various other state departments, the officials should strive hard for its proper implementation taking into considerations of the aim of the programme. ''The progress of the programme recorded at the books should be reflected in its practicle sense'' he said.

Union Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Samarjith Sinha said Karnataka had been granted Rs 188 crore for this ambitious National health project. More funds would flow into the state if the funds were utilised effectively. He said that apart from the cash assistance the centre would also supply mobile medical units and medicines for the benefit of the rural mass worth Rs 11 crore.

Mr Sinha said the main criterion for the implementation of the project was to form district health plans and constitution of hospital administrative committees both at Taluk, Panchayath and district level. The centre has released Rs 50,000 to each Public Health Centre and Rs five lakhs to the district hospitals for repairs and maintenance.

Highlighting the features of the 7-year NHRM which was launched last year, he said it was a comprehensive programme intended to upgrade the health infrastructure right from panchayat level in all the states and ensure the accessibility of health services round-the-clock. Many states have already prepared respective district plans as the pre-condition for releasing the grants and center would release more funds if it was utilised properly, he added.

UNI