Chandigarh, July 21: The Centre has approved the Nation Health Mission Punjab’s state programme in implementation plan for 2017-18 amounting to Rs 806.28 crore.Announcing this here on Friday, Brahm Mohindra, Health and Family Welfare Minister, said Punjab had put forth a strong case to the Centre for a major uplift of health care services and a series of new initiatives in the public health sector.
He said Punjab’s team headed by Anjali Bhawra, Principal Secretary, Health, and Varun Roojam, Mission Director, NHM, personally pursued the plan submitted by the state with the Centre.Activities were discussed with senior officers of the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during the national programme coordination committee’s (NPCC) meeting held in New Delhi.Mohindra said that among the new initiatives approved by the Centre, the major initiatives included the setting up of health and wellness centres. Under this initiative, 200 sub-centres of the state will be strengthened as health and wellness centres, where promotive, preventive and primary curative health and health care services would be provided. Special courses for staff nurses to train them for primary health care have also been approved. These staff nurses will be posted at sub-centres as community health officers and a budget of Rs 12.65 crore has been approved for this.The Health Minister said that with a view to meeting the shortage of specialists, especially gynaecologists and paediatricians, DNB course at district hospital Ludhiana had been approved. In addition, all districts and sub-divisional hospitals would be computerised in a phased manner and a proposal amounting to Rs 9.45 crore had been approved for the purpose. The state government has also planned to provide free treatment to senior citizens.While sharing other major highlights of Punjab’s plan for 2017-18, the minister revealed said Rs 195.11 crore now stood approved for providing equipment and drugs to all health institutions, including free drugs and diagnostics.Punjab has managed to get allocated Rs 278.59 crore for the salaries of specialists, medical officers, staff nurses and other paramedical staff. Rs 29.92 crore has been approved for the flagship schemes of Janani Shishu Surakhsha Karyakaram (JSSK) and Janani Surakhsha Yojana (JSY) under which free treatment to all pregnant women and infants is provided.Mohindra said that for smooth implementation of National Urban Health Mission Rs 33.58 crore had been approved for strengthening the health care institutions, outreach camps and Mahila Arogya Smitis.With the objective to combat and controlled diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, dengue and elimination of leprosy Rs 20.88 crore has been approved, whereas to tackle non-communicable diseases, especially hypertention, diabetes and other cardio-vascular diseases and blindness a budget of Rs 16.84 crore has been approved.
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