Create awareness of NRHM initiative: CM

Tuesday, 07 02 2012 10:06

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‘Focus on 100 % benefits to women, children under JSSK’
Jammu, Feb 06: Stressing that appropriate health-care to women and children was an important ingredient in health service expansion and upgradation scheme in the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday asked for ensuring cent percent benefits to pregnant women and newborns under woman and child safety programme ‘Janani Shishu Surakhsha Karyakam’ (JSSK) of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) programme.
“The pregnant women and newborn children are entitled under this programme to receive free medical treatment including medicine, investigation, diagnoses and blood besides nutrition, transport and other related facilities,” he said, adding that people should be made well aware about these benefits.
The Chief Minister said that under a sustained awareness campaign in the state, people should be extensively educated about the scheme so that they take its best advantage. “The information about JSSK scheme aimed at providing health security to pregnant women and newborns should all the more be disseminated to the grass-root level and its implementation undertaken with professional zeal and machinery spirit,” he directed the Health department asking for all efforts in this direction.
Taking review of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at a high-level meeting here, the Chief Minister said that all components of the flagship programme need to be focused for the larger benefits to the people living in rural and far-flung areas.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma, Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, Devender Singh Rana, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Commissioner Secretary Health, G A Peer, Director NRHM, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Directors of Health Service, Kashmir and Jammu, Director Indian System of Medicine, principals of Medical Colleges and various other senior officers.
The Chief Minister said that health sector is focused sector in the development policy of the government and extension of up to the mark health facilities in the state is being persuaded vigorously through various state- and centrally-sponsored schemes. He said that incentives and higher salaries are being given to the doctors and paramedical staff under NRHM to work in remote and far-flung areas.
Omar said that people should be made aware in the rural areas that NRHM possesses an important component for promotion of hygiene among adolescent girls and they have various facilities available under NRHM for this purpose through ASHA workers.
Underlining NRHM as an important initiative to upgrade and extend health-cover in rural and remote areas, Omar Abdullah said that information, education and communication component of the scheme needs to be further extended, adding that the utilization of benefits of NRHM are directly related to the awareness among the people about the scheme.
Speaking in the meeting, Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma said that a new scheme to provide health insurance cover to all poor families in the state is being launched within the next three months.
“To start with over 66000 poor families of Srinagar and Jammu districts are being covered under the Rashtriya Swath Bhema Yojana (RSBY),” he said, adding that insurance cover to the tune of Rs 30000 will be available to each family. “They have only to register by paying a nominal registration fee of Rs 30 only,” he said.
The Minister said that the Health department will also cover over 1500 kilometres long national highway in the state by putting in operation modern ambulances for every 30 kilometre distance which shall be available to meet any eventuality in case of accidents. “The ambulances would be connected to the Central Control Rooms at Srinagar and Jammu with Telephone No. 108 and 104,” he informed.
In a PowerPoint presentation, Director NRHM, Dr. Yashpal Sharma gave details of action taken report achievements on physical, financial and additional projects approved besides elaborating the roadmap of health coverage under NRHM during the next financial year.