Over Rs 2,700 crore for health care sector in Delhi Budget

New Delhi, July 18: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today earmarked Rs 2,724 crore for health sector in the Budget for Delhi during the current fiscal, including plans to set up centres in each district for victims of sexual assault and a multi-speciality hospital in South Delhi.

In the wake of increasing cases of sexual assault in the national capital, the Government proposed to set up one stop centres for crisis management and rehabilitation of victims of sexual assault in each district in government hospitals.

"Three such centres at Deen Dayal hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital will become functional in the next three months, where the victims can be provided proper medical care along with legal and psycho-social counselling and support in a secure, gender- friendly environment," Jaitley said.

The Minister informed that a new medical college with 100 seats will be started in Rohini and efforts are being made to ensure that the first batch of students is admitted by next year. The plan outlay of Rs 2,724 crore for health sector is approximately 16.3 per cent of plan outlay (excluding Centrally Sponsored Schemes), which is Rs 16,700 crore.

The total budget estimate for the Government of NCT of Delhi is Rs 36,766 for the year 2014-15. Considering the paucity of good health care facilities under government sector in South Delhi and the felt need of the area, Jaitley said the Government has proposed to sanction one multi-speciality hospital for South Delhi in the current year.

Besides, 50 dialysis centres will be opened to provide free dialysis to poor patients suffering from kidney failure. To offer prompt trauma care, 110 new ambulances fitted with state-of-the-art life support equipment will be inducted in the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) fleet.

Keeping in view the "quantum of work load" with existing Forensic Science Laboratory, the government proposed setting up of three more Forensic Science Laboratories for which land at Sheikh Sarai, Rohini and village Sayurpur at a cost of Rs 11.25 crore has been purchased, Jaitley said.

The Minister informed that online facility has been launched for Out Patient Department (OPD) registration and issuing of free birth registration certificate at the time of discharge of mother and newborn baby from Government Hospitals has also been initiated.

PTI