Ninth Meeting of Mission Steering Group of NRHM held
New Delhi, October 23: The 9th meeting of the Mission Steering Group of NRHM was held in New Delhi today. The meeting was chaired by Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare.
In his opening remarks, Shri Azad said that MSG meetings are normally held once a year. However, this meeting has been held in a relatively short span of time as the MSG needs to take a policy call on several issues of crucial importance in the 12th Plan. He said the Plan document approved by the Cabinet provides for a substantial jump in the plan outlay giving a central position to Health in the 12th Plan. Considering that public expenditure on Health in India is one of the lowest in the world and disease burden is the highest, the increase in Plan outlay is a timely and welcome beginning.
Shri Azad said that time and again we have been emphasizing the importance of social determinants of health. Programmes concerning nutrition, drinking water and sanitation are major factors impacting health, are set to receive a significant increase in funds in the 12th Plan. The proposal for an Urban Health initiative with a focus on primary health care for the urban poor has been cleared by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and it will soon be placed before the Cabinet for consideration. This approval would meet a long overdue need to address the health care needs of urban poor.
He said that a great distance has been covered during the 11th Plan period, resulting in tremendous addition of infrastructure as well as human resource; there still remain several areas of concern. Under the NRHM, several thrust areas have been identified for implementation in the 12th Plan. These include strengthening of the Health Sub Centres to develop them as first port of call for health care, strengthening of District Hospitals to provide advanced level of secondary health care within district itself and developing District Hospitals as knowledge centres. Government is also moving towards Universal Health Care. We have launched Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram to provide service guarantee of free care to pregnant women and neonates. Now, we intend to provide free essential medicines in all public health facilities and Universal screening of Children for disease, disability and deficiency with free follow up treatment, including that in tertiary public health facilities.
Shri Azad said another important step in the 12th Plan is the move to simplify and rationalize funding to States and to provide States the much needed flexibility to prioritize and devise strategies which meet their needs. It is planned to provide the same flexibility under the Disease Control Programmes as exists in RCH Flexi-pool and Mission Flexi-pool. Proposals which incorporate some of these thrust areas are being placed as agenda items before this group for consideration and approval.
After opening remarks by Shri Azad, detailed discussion was held as per agenda.
In his opening remarks, Shri Azad said that MSG meetings are normally held once a year. However, this meeting has been held in a relatively short span of time as the MSG needs to take a policy call on several issues of crucial importance in the 12th Plan. He said the Plan document approved by the Cabinet provides for a substantial jump in the plan outlay giving a central position to Health in the 12th Plan. Considering that public expenditure on Health in India is one of the lowest in the world and disease burden is the highest, the increase in Plan outlay is a timely and welcome beginning.
Shri Azad said that time and again we have been emphasizing the importance of social determinants of health. Programmes concerning nutrition, drinking water and sanitation are major factors impacting health, are set to receive a significant increase in funds in the 12th Plan. The proposal for an Urban Health initiative with a focus on primary health care for the urban poor has been cleared by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and it will soon be placed before the Cabinet for consideration. This approval would meet a long overdue need to address the health care needs of urban poor.
He said that a great distance has been covered during the 11th Plan period, resulting in tremendous addition of infrastructure as well as human resource; there still remain several areas of concern. Under the NRHM, several thrust areas have been identified for implementation in the 12th Plan. These include strengthening of the Health Sub Centres to develop them as first port of call for health care, strengthening of District Hospitals to provide advanced level of secondary health care within district itself and developing District Hospitals as knowledge centres. Government is also moving towards Universal Health Care. We have launched Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram to provide service guarantee of free care to pregnant women and neonates. Now, we intend to provide free essential medicines in all public health facilities and Universal screening of Children for disease, disability and deficiency with free follow up treatment, including that in tertiary public health facilities.
Shri Azad said another important step in the 12th Plan is the move to simplify and rationalize funding to States and to provide States the much needed flexibility to prioritize and devise strategies which meet their needs. It is planned to provide the same flexibility under the Disease Control Programmes as exists in RCH Flexi-pool and Mission Flexi-pool. Proposals which incorporate some of these thrust areas are being placed as agenda items before this group for consideration and approval.
After opening remarks by Shri Azad, detailed discussion was held as per agenda.
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