Centre to launch health scheme for urban poor: Ramadoss

In a row to provide health facilities to all, Centre has decided to launch a wide range of health services in the urban areas similar like the health services in the rural area to facilitate the destitute who live in the slums.

Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has announced to launch National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) like the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to cover 220-million very poor people who lives in 429 cities and small towns and can not bear the heavy expenses of treatment.

The scheme would come into effect within four-five months, as cited Union health minister. For this purpose cabinet has reserved a sum of Rs. 80 billion in the 11th five year plan (2007-2012). The basic target of NUHM is to provide reasonable and effective primary healthcare facilities to homeless and very poor people who live in the slums.

For operating this mission successfully, government has planned to pay directly to the hospitals, so that the chances of corruption can be waived and hospital can reform its infrastructure and health facilities from this aid. Government will provide Rs.40,000-50,000 per year per hospital to enhance facilities.

This facility will also be available for the private hospitals too, as informed health minister but private hospitals will have to apply for getting approval.

Those, who still not come under this plan, will get a health insurance cover of Rs.40,000 to 50,000. As much as 55-millions out of 22 crore will be benefited from this free health insurance plan. Government will pay the premium of Rs.600 per year per person for the next five years while people will not have to pay even a single coin for this plan.

The insurance will cover up maternal benefits, Out Patient Department (OPD) facilities and other general illnesses while under NHUM plan, 50,000 people from one circle will get the benefit of new born care units while a circle of 2,50,000 people will be facilitated from referral level health facility.

For providing primary healthcare facilities, every hospital will have to have one physician, two nurses and five Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM) and all basic facilities including laboratories and testing centres.

This new plan will also treat active and socially committed slum level woman as a link volunteer for a slum population who will be known as ‘Usha’ and get the similar facilities like the ‘Asha’, the social activists in the rural areas who works in villages, creating awareness about health and on maternity and child welfare issues.