PM asks states to improve health service, convene NDC on health

New Delhi, June 5 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today urged state Governments to pay adequate attention to health care issues and ensure efficient functioning of public health services.

The prime minister, who Chaired a meeting to take stock of the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the flagship programme of the UPA government, emphasised the need for greater investment in medical education, including nursing, especially in States where there is an acute shortage of seats in nursing and medicine.

Dr Singh said he will convene a special meeting of the National Development Council to discuss issues relating to health care, disease control and public health.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Health and Family Welfare presented a detailed outline on action taken till now and identified three categories of States in terms of the implementation of the NRHM.

The best performing States so far have been identified as Andhra Pradesh, Asom, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. The average performing States have been identified as Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab and Uttarkhand.

However, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh have not performed well in implemenation of the NRHM.

UNI