Scope of rural health mission to be widened
Activities of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in the State will get a new dimension by the first week of April, with some new components expected to be included in the coming budget. "Preliminary discussions with regard to district-level health plans are under way and so far, 24 districts have been covered as part of the State-level exercise,' according to a senior official. A meeting of health officials of 12 districts was held in Madurai on Friday. The proposals will be forwarded to the government. According to the official, it is for the first time that the NRHM has decentralised its budget planning activity by going to the districts. Stating that a major announcement is likely by April, he says the focus will now include health management. "The NRHM is ready to extend financial support to need-based health projects. But, due to procedural delays in districts, the time taken to release the funds is getting longer,' says another State-level official based in Chennai. A meeting covering the remaining five districts will be held next week. "Till now, health projects were taken up on an ad hoc basis. It will not be the case in future,' the official avers.