The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad announced the Super Specialty upgradation of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, Jhansi under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) Phase III, here today. Rs. 150 crore has been allocated by the Central Government for this upgradation. The Health Minister also stated that the Cabinet has during the past few months, approved upgradation of three more Medical Colleges in Uttar Pradesh namely Government Medical College, Gorakhpur; Motilal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad and LLR Medical College, Meerut. Each of the Medical Colleges has been allocated Rs. 150 crores by the Central Government for Super Specialty upgradation.
Speaking at the occasion, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Government has set up and upgraded 51,000 hospitals in the country during the last 10 years. Of these 18,000 have been upgraded during UPA-I and 33,000 during UPA-II. These are at the district, sub-district, community and primary health centre level. He noted that in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 15,299 crores have been allocated under NRHM in last nine years. 6,251 new hospitals have been approved of which 4,562 are ready. He said that special hospitals for mother and child have also been approved for the state; during the last two years about 147 hospitals with 900 beds have been approved. The Minister said that 34,800 specialists, nurses, AYUSH doctors and 1,36,094 ASHAs have been provided by the Central Government to the state of Uttar Pradesh. Along with that, 988 Ambulances ‘108’ in the year 2010-11 and 1,972 Ambulances ‘102’ have been approved for UP during 2012-13. Of the 1,972 Ambulances ‘102’, the state Government has already bought 972 ambulances, the Health Minister noted.
Azad said that Government has launched a number of schemes for pregnant women, mother and child. Under Janani Suraksha Yojna the objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor pregnant women. Under this scheme financial assistance of Rs 1,400 is provided to pregnant women in rural areas and Rs 1000 in urban areas. Central government has provided Rs 2000 crores to State of Uttar Pradesh for this scheme from 2005-06 till today, and 1.32 lakh women have benefitted under this scheme in the state, Shri Azad said.
The Health Minister highlighted that under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), the Central Government provides completely free and cashless services to pregnant women including normal deliveries and caesarean operations and sick new born (up to 30 days after birth), free transport between facilities in case of referral as also drop back from Institutions to home after 48hrs stay in Government health institutions in both rural and urban areas. The Central government has provided Rs. 1000 crores to Uttar Pradesh under this scheme during 2011-12 benefitting 34 lakh women. Similarly under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) 27 crore children have been befitted and the Central government has provided Rs 160 crores during this year to the State Government of Uttar Pradesh. Present at the occasion were Shri Pradeep Jain “Aditya”, MoS for Rural Development Ministry; Shri Lov Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr.(Prof.) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS and other higher officials of the Health Ministry.