More areas to be brought under NRHM: Sham Lal

Jammu, June 28: The state government is working on a strategy to bring greater area of the state under the ambit of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the flagship scheme of Centre to increase the accessibility of health facilities to interior areas of rural villages.

This was stated by the Minister of Health, Floriculture and Horticulture, Sham Lal Sharma while reviewing the implementation NRHM scheme in the state in the last four years, here today.

Director, Family Welfare, Jammu, Dr. Kulbushan Pandotra and other senior officers of the Health department participated in the meeting.

The Minister said that the government is seriously working to take primary and secondary health care services to rural and hilly areas of the state, adding that the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad has also promised to work out modalities to relax the provisions of NRHM to bring the hilly areas with scattered population under the umbrella of this scheme.

Stressing that the onus of implementation of schemes lies on the dedication and zeal of the doctors and para-medics, he said they are the real propellers who translate the schemes from paper to ground by working under real situations. He asked the doctors to develop more accountability and commitment in their functioning so that the state becomes a model for others in terms of health care availability.

Underlining the need for an attitudinal change towards duty among medics, one of his foremost priorities ever since taking over as Health Minister, Sham Lal said that there is no dearth of skilled and competent medics in the state, the need is to give them right direction and tap their potential to the maximum to yield desired results. He said that the government is committed to provide better working conditions and incentives to the medics performing on ground so that they are driven to achieve the goals laid out for them, adding that the motivation behind brain drain from the state would be curbed so that the bright minds become willing to serve the people of the state. He said that a mechanism for regular appraisal of the performance of doctors will be put in place for making the system more answerable and result oriented.

The Minister issued instructions to the officers to ensure that the funds allocated under the different centrally sponsored schemes are utilized judiciously. He called for a blanket check on the allotment and utilization of funds under different schemes on ground. He also called for utilizing the services of ASHAs as well as involving the locals in the scheme by imparting them necessary training. (NAK)