THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The functioning of the National Health Mission (NHM) in the state has been affected as the Union government is delaying its contributions worth Rs 826 crore under various projects, said Health Minister Veena George. She said that by denying the rightful fund to the state, the Centre has created an “undesirable situation” which went against federal principles.
“We have not received a single rupee under Central schemes for 2023-24. As a result, the implementation of various NHM projects has become difficult. The state has been running these projects using its share,” said Veena. The delay in getting the funds would affect some of the free treatments, consultations, incentives and salaries of health workers.
According to the minister, the delay is due to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoFHW) demand for co-branding and renaming of health institutions functioning under NHM projects. While the state has complied with the demand for co-branding by including the logo of Central institutions, the state could not agree to the demand for renaming the institutions as “Ayushman Arogya Mandir”.
“The demand for renaming a public institution is against our language and culture. We cannot accept that,” she said. The demand for re-naming came on December 31, after the state authorities complied with co-branding in 90 per cent of institutions, and uploaded the details with the Centre. Recently, the MoFHW suggested another change in the wording of their logo as “Arogyam Paramam Dhanam”.
The delay in getting funds was taken up at the bureaucratic and ministerial level earlier. The minister said that the state would again remind the Centre about the payment.