Punjab provides full advantage of national rural health mission to needy

Ludhiana, Jan 26(ANI): Punjab Government is trying provide better health care facilities in rural areas of the state with the help of the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM).

The NHRM is an initiative by the Union Government to make available effective healthcare, especially to the poor and vulnerable section of the society.

Amongst those, who are taking full advantage of the scheme, is a lady from Sahnewal village in Ludhiana district, who is expecting and requires better health care.

Anil, the woman's husband, said that initially she was taken to a private hospital in Ludhiana, but when they discovered that similar healthcare facilities were available in their own village government hospital, they dropped the idea of visiting a private gynecologist.

"This is a new health centre inside Civil Hospital at village Sahnewal. It has similar facilities as Ludhiana city. We are getting a similar consultation as we get in the cities. So there is no need to go so far," Anil said.

The NRHM was started in 2005 and aims to improve the access of rural people, especially poor women and children to equitable, affordable, accountable and effective primary healthcare.

The mission seeks to integrate different vertical health programmes, decentralize healthcare service delivery at the village level and improve intersectoral action.

The Punjab Government is serious about implementing the scheme to substantially reduce maternal and infant mortality and communicable diseases.

"The government has spent 90 to 110 million dollars on the National Rural Health Scheme. In Punjab, a major impact has been made on the delivery of babies. In Ludhiana alone 15 new centres have come up where facilities are available round the clock for deliveries," said Maninderjit Singh, civil surgeon from Ludhiana.

"There is proper staff consisting of nurses and doctors. The number of institutional deliveries has risen manifold. When deliveries are done at the institutions, the chances of complication are less. And if there is any complication, we can take care of it. At these centres we can provide proper care to both the mother and child," he added.

The rural health mission will be completed in 2012, and besides strengthening rural hospitals for effective curative care and family welfare programmes, the mission has a vision to have a village health plan prepared through a local team headed by the Panchayat representative.

The NRHM has given hope to the underprivileged in the country, and it will take a concerted effort by the state and the Central governments to ensure that these hopes are fulfilled. (ANI)