Big beneficiary

State Health Department seems to be a big beneficiary of the largesse of Union Health Minister. The efforts of State Health Minister Shabir Ahmad Khan have yielded good results and he has bagged a bumper deal from the Union Health Ministry which comprises 200 new ambulance vans at a cost of 14 crore rupees, and rupees 12 crore for purchase of latest equipment for District Hospital Doda and sub-district hospital Bhaderwah under National Rural Health Mission. Both of these districts are backward and hilly and dismally lack health facilities and other items of infrastructure. The provision of funds for equipment will boost medical services in these backward areas. We expect the State Health Minister to make a fair and just distribution of the new fleet of 200 vans keeping in mind that these are most needed in hilly areas where patients including expectant mothers need immediate medical assistance. Further these hilly areas are more prone to motor accidents. The hospitals and dispensaries are ill-equipped to provide immediate medical support to the needy. The step taken by the State Health Minister in writing to the Union Health Minster about the urgent requirements of the Health Department has had good impact and hopefully most of his demands will be met by the Union Health Minster. It is an appreciable gesture on the part of the two ministers to be interested in improving health standard of people in rural areas.