*Remuneration of all categories increased considerably
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 17: Keeping in view the timely utilization of funds and adherence to the conditions imposed by the Department of Expenditure, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sanctioned whopping over Rs 500 crore for Jammu and Kashmir under National Health Mission for the current financial year. Moreover, the Union Government has sanctioned establishment of 826 Sub-Centres and creation of 1544 new posts of doctors and para-medics etc besides considerably increasing the remuneration of all categories of staff.
Highly placed sources in the Union Health Ministry told EXCELSIOR that Department of Health and Family Welfare has given the administrative approval of over Rs 500 crore for the implementation of various schemes under National Health Mission in Jammu and Kashmir during the current financial year. Out of this, an amount of Rs 48 crore (10%) would be the State share on 90:10 basis.
Such a whopping increase has been approved keeping in view the performance of the State in undertaking health sector reforms, timely utilization of funds and adherence to the conditionalities imposed by the Department of Expenditure, Government of India, sources informed.
In 2012-13 financial year, the assistance was just to the tune of around Rs 200 crore and the same was increased to Rs 398 crore in 2013-14 and during the current financial year the assistance has gone beyond Rs 500 crore, they said while disclosing that Jammu and Kashmir has made significant progress in responding to conditionalities particularly in the area of Quality Assurance and Civil Registration.
It is pertinent to mention here that system of incentives and disincentives was introduced in the approvals of the States Programme Implementation Plan under National Health Mission in 2012-13 and continued in 2013-14 to encourage the States to undertake the much needed health sectors reforms and Jammu and Kashmir has come up to the expectations of the Union Health Ministry and the outcome of the same is sanctioning of whopping over Rs 500 crore for the current financial year.
Out of over Rs 500 crore, an amount of Rs 110 crore has been approved for construction and up-gradation of various health institutions in the State including Rs 43 crore for district level hospitals, sources said, adding Rs 5 crore each has been earmarked for two Maternity Hospitals at Jammu and Srinagar, Rs 54.50 crore for Community Health Centres and Rs 10.24 crore for Primary Health Centres.
“It is for the first time ever since the launch of National Health Mission (formerly National Rural Health Mission) that such a huge amount has been earmarked for construction/up-gradation purpose”, sources said while disclosing that during past seven years the State received Rs 450 crore for construction and up-gradation purpose.
In another major decision, the Union Ministry has approved establishment of 826 Sub-Centres in Jammu and Kashmir and an amount of Rs 9.85 crore has been earmarked for the same during the current year’s assistance under National Health Mission, sources said, adding 676 Sub-Centres were sanctioned by the Ministry last year and 150-Sub-Centres have been approved in current year’s plan.
They said that remuneration of all categories of staff—doctors, para-medic and staff of programme management units has been increased from 15 to 35%. “The ISM doctors are the major beneficiary as they will get Rs 25,000 per month as against Rs 19200 per month and in this way the disparity in remuneration in two systems of medicine has been removed up to certain extent”, sources said.
In yet another major step, the Union Ministry has accorded sanction to the creation of 1544 new posts of doctors, para-medic and staff in programme management units to implement various new schemes. In this way, the permissibility of the staff under National Health Mission, J&K has been increased to 8892. Moreover, ASHA workers will get assured incentive of Rs 1000 per month.
“Though ASHA workers are getting incentives for carrying out different activities but Rs 1000 per month would be assured assistance over and above the same they are presently getting”, sources said.
The untied funds to District Hospitals have been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and Sub-District Hospitals from Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. However, the Ministry has kept the provision for providing more assistance to those institutions where the case load is higher.
They said that the Union Ministry has also sanctioned Rs 3.75 crore for continuation of all old schemes like JSY, JSSK, RBSK in eight districts of Jammu and Kashmir, which include Rajouri, Doda, Anantnag, Baramulla, Leh and Kargil. Similarly, approval has been given to the implementation of Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram in all the districts of the State and an amount of Rs 8.42 crore has been approved for continuation of National Urban Health Mission in seven towns of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Anantnag, Srinagar, Baramulla and Sopore.
The Ministry has also accorded approval to the setting up of four new skill labs—two each in Jammu and Kashmir regions, two Infant Young Child Feeding State Resource Centres in Medical Colleges and 22 at district level and establishment of Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres in District Hospitals of Anantnag, Baramulla, Pulwama, Kargil, Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Kathua for treatment of children suffering from malnutrition, sources said.
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