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The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) will have a strong monitoring mechanism to assess the activities being undertaken. The programme would also try to incorporate flexibility so that action is initiated according to the needs of the states. The Mission Steering Group of the NRHM, which met here yesterday, for the first time, took these decisions after reviewing programmes made under the Mission during the past few months since its launch in April, 2005.
Briefing newspersons after the meeting, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said that the Mission was in its initial phase and it will take beyond a year to make a true assessment of the programme. He said that any changes would be incorporated into the programme according to the experience and the feedback of the states. The Minister said that there was a strong demand from the members to empower the Steering Group so that the Mission mode could be implemented and they need not go to the Cabinet for approval repeatedly.
During the meeting, the members of the Steering Committee made a strong case for developing human resources policies and increasing management capacity of health officials. They also emphasized the need to improve quality of primary and secondary healthcare facilities. One of the members wanted the quality Indian health standards extended to primary health centres and sub-centres rather than confining it to Community Health Centres (CHS). Issues relating to health insurance and institutional support for ASHAs was also discussed. The members also felt that the Mission should be extended to the urban poor.
The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia stressed on the need to be flexible in the first year so that several models can be examined and studied before adoption. He emphasized the need to keep ourselves open to feedback and innovate and design the programme after the first year. He also emphasized the need for inter-sectoral convergence pointing that clean drinking water and sanitation were important inputs to improve health indicators.
The meeting was attended among others by the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Rural Development Minister, Shri Raghunath Prasad Singh and several other members and secretaries of the Government of India. The Group would meet every three months.
Since its launch in April, 2005, eight Task Groups were formed of which six have submitted their report. Three new Task Groups on urban health, financial guidelines and medical education have been constituted recently. The NRHM has been formally launched by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in five state viz. Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Orissa and Bihar. Up to July 31, 2005 about 22% of Rs.6700 crores which is the outlay for NRHM during the current financial year has been released.
EK/BKS/MK
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