New Health Initiatives Worth 500 Crore Rupees Launched in Assam

Union Health Minister of Health & Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad launched various new health initiatives worth 500 crore Rupees under the NRHM in Assam at Guwahati on 1 September 2013. The health initiatives were launched for the purpose of strengthening healthcare services in Assam.

The new health initiatives include Free Generic Drug Service, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya karyakram (RBSK), National Iron Plus Initiative, Fleet of 359 New Ambulances for National Ambulance Service. At the same time, the Mother & Child Tracking System Call Centre and Tele-Radiology Project under NRHM were launched.

In addition, the foundation stone of 14 MCH Wings of various District Hospitals which are being constructed at the cost of over 320 crore Rupees, was also launched. This was launched to cater to the increased demand of institutional deliveries, as well as to improve the maternal & child health. The MCHs wings after being functional will facilitate 1400 additional beds to the health system of Assam.

It is important to note that over 96000 crore Rupees have already been released to different states of India under the NRHM. Around 54000 new constructions or renovations of public health facilities have been taken up in India.

The initiative called Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) is very important because it covers the universal health coverage. RBSK is the broad and comprehensive programme which aims to screen 27 crore children up to the age of 18 years across India for 4 Ds, i.e., Diseases, Disabilities, Defects and Disorders. RBSK was actually launched by Sonia Gandhi on 6 February 2013 from Maharashtra. The Union Health Ministry under NRHM bears all the expenses on the treatment and management of specified medical conditions of screened children, up to the tertiary level.