Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today reiterated the commitment of the Centre on healthcare by hiking the allocation for the health and family welfare by 21.9 per cent to Rs 15291 crore, bolstering the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) programme, polio eradication campaign and anti-AIDS battle.
``The institutional integration of all the health schemes at the district and lower levels has been achieved. All districts in the country will complete preparation of District Health Action Plans by March 2007. The major emphasis will be on mother and child care and on the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Through Monthly Health Days (MHD) organised at Anganwadi centres, convergence is sought to be achieved among various programmes such as immunization, ante natal care as well as nutrition and sanitation,'' he said in his budget speech.
The Centre has increased the allocation for NHRM to Rs 9947 crore for the next fiscal from Rs 8207 crore of the current financial year. It was Rs 6553 crore during the last financial year.
``I am happy to report that 320,000 Associated Social Health Activists (ASHAs) have been recruited and over 200,000 have received orientation training. Besides, 90,000 link workers have been selected by the States. With trained ASHAs in place, I am confident there will be significant improvement in health care in rural areas. The Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) systems are also being mainstreamed into the health delivery system at all levels,'' he said.
On the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Finance Minister said, the Government was determined to achieve zero-level growth. The epidemic will be deemed 'stabilised' if the prevalence rate is less than one per cent of the population. National Aids Control Programme (NACP)-III, starting in 2007-08 and building on NACP-I and NACP-II, will target the high risk groups in all the States.
``We will expand access to condoms and ensure universal access to blood screening and safe blood. More hospitals will provide treatment to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child. Support will be given to the protocol on paediatric dosage developed by Indian doctors and launched in November 2006. For the year 2007-08, I propose to step up the provision for the AIDS control programme to Rs 969 crore,'' he announced.
On the polio eradication campaign, the Minister said, the strategy had been revised and the number of polio rounds would be increased. Monovalent vaccine had been introduced and an intensive coverage would be held in 20 high-risk districts of Uttar Pradesh and 10 districts of Bihar, after integrating it into the NHRM. The ASHAs and the Anganwadi workers will visit every household and track every child for the immunization programme. The Government earmarked Rs.1,290 crore in 2007-08 for the drive.
In the second phase of expansion of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Government has sanctioned 173 ICDS projects, 107,274 Anganwadi centres and 25,961 mini-Anganwadi centres.
``Government is committed to expand the scheme in order to cover all habitations and settlements during the Eleventh Plan and to reach out to pregnant women, lactating mothers and all children below the age of six. I propose to increase the allocation for ICDS from Rs.4,087 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.4,761 crore in 2007-08,'' he said.