Government says health scenario better

Expressbuzz, Dec 4, 2009
BHUBANESWAR: Members cutting across party lines expressed concern in the Assembly today over the State Government’s neglect of the health sector and its inability to spend funds under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) compounding the suffering of the poor. Making a statement, Health Minister Prasanna Acharya, however, maintained that health indicators have improved after the execution of NRHM since 2005-06, though there is a lot to be achieved.


Admitting that vacancies in doctor posts is a major area of concern, the Minister said that quarters with basic facilities had been constructed in many areas with NRHM funds. There has been largescale improvement in infrastructural facilities during the last several years, he claimed and cited statistics.

While the IMR has decreased from 75 to 69 per 1,000, the MMR reduced to 303 from 358 per 1 lakh deliveries. The rate of institutional delivery has increased from 39 to 75 per cent. Besides, full immunisation coverage has gone up from 53 to 74 per cent, he said.

Refuting Opposition charges, the Minister said that already 49 per cent of the funds under the scheme had been spent during the financial year. Criticising the Government for its failure to fill up vacancies of doctor posts which have touched 1,000 now, Santosh Singh Saluja (Cong) said that for this the BPL families, 47 per cent of the population, are not getting health facilities.

Besides, poor infrastructure and low salary are driving doctors to other states and private hospitals, he added.

His party colleague Naba Kishore Das alleged that the Government did not have welfare of the poor in mind. Alleging that Rs 110 crore from the Twelfth Finance Commission (TFC) remained unspent, Das said that several proposals for setting up hospitals in Western Orissa have not been implemented.

Stating that there is largescale bungling of NRHM funds, Das said the Government had no right to continue. Gobardhan Das (Cong) maintained that though people die regularly of diarrhoea and other diseases in Kalahandi, 79 doctor posts are vacant.

Pradip Maharathi (BJD) wanted to know whether the Centre threatened to suspend provision of funds under the scheme as it was not properly utilised. He wanted to know what control the Health Department has on the NRHM. Amar Prasad Satpathy (NCP) said whether utilisation of funds had been assessed by any other agency.