State Leaves Over Rs. 1000 Cr. For Health-Care Unutilised

The Centre has pulled up the state government for the non-utilisation of Central funds to the tune of over Rs. 1000 crores.

This was disclosed by Health and Family Welfare Minister DL Ravindra Reddy while addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat on Saturday. He admitted that during the recently held meeting of Health Ministers at New Delhi, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad pulled up the state for not using Rs. 1400 crores sanctioned under the National Rural Health Mission. He said that of Rs. 1,400 crores, the state's contribution was to be Rs. 350 crores or one-fourth of the sanctioned funds. However, he said that since the state government did not make its contribution, the remaining funds too could not be utilised.

Similarly, the inability to contribute one-fourth of the sanctioned funds also led to the lapse of Rs. 70 crores meant for post-graduate and under-graduate courses.

Ravindra Reddy said that the Centre has further sanctioned nearly Rs. 700 crores under the NRHM and asked the state to submit the utilisation certificate by November 15. He said if the state fails to make its one-fourth contribution, these funds too would get lapsed.

The Minister also informed that the Centre also pulled up the state for not setting up 44 units sanctioned by the Centre under the mother-child care programme.

The minister also informed that of about four crore people who die due to various diseases, nearly 2.75 lakh commit suicide due to their inability to afford treatment. In view of such patients, the Centre has started Universilation of Health Scheme under the 12th Five Year Plan. He said that the Centre proposes to extended treatment facilities to poor patients under the new schemes.

Ravindra Reddy also dismissed the allegations by opposition parties that the child mortality rate in the state was on the rise. He said that the state's average was on par with the national average of 1000:43. However, he said some states like Kerela have a low mortality rate of 1000:35.

The minister informed that the Centre has sanctioned a 3,900-bed facility for new born children. He said that a location to set up the new facility would be selected soon. Since the facility requires Super Specialty facilities, he said that Niloufer Hospital in the city might be an ideal location for the same.

Refusing to elaborate more on the NEET, he said that the matter was sub-judice. However, he said that conducting NEET would be possible only from 2014-15. (INN)