PUDUCHERRY:Six Urban Primary Health Centres (PHCs) will be started in Puducherry under the Urban Health Mission, which is to be launched shortly, said Dr K V Raman, Director of Health and Family Welfare.
Speaking to Express on the sidelines of the District-level Monitoring and Vigilance Committee meeting chaired by Lok Sabha member R Radhakrishnan on Wednesday, Dr Raman said Urban PHCs would be started at Dubrayanpet, Boomianpet, and another one at Lawspet by bifurcating the Lawspet PHC and three others at Yanam, Karaikal and Mahe. Radhakrishnan, who reviewed the National Rural Health Mission along with MLAs and officials of the departments concerned on the achievement of the millennium goals, said that last year Rs 37 crore was released under the scheme. Out of that around Rs 25 crore have been utilised in meeting the objectives and parameters of the scheme. The remaining could not be utilised as the funds were received towards the fag end of the financial year. The routing of funds through the Puducherry government treasury instead of direct funding to the Mission by the Health Ministry as earlier is leading to delay in scheme implementation, said Radhakrishnan. There are procedural delays in funds coming to the mission, he said. The committee has decided to pursue this year’s proposal for a funding of Rs 72 crore.
The MLAs wanted more facilities in PHCs including conversion of the existing PHCs into 24-hour facility. Dr Raman said that most of the people were approaching Rajiv Gandhi Women and Children hospital for deliveries and the bed strength was insufficient to handle them. Puducherry government has written to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for creation of 628 new posts of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff to enhance the bed strength from 442 beds to 750 beds.
The Committee also reviewed Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for improvement of infrastructure at an outlay of Rs 22 crore. Besides, after reviewing the implementation of Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti scheme for rural areas electrification, the committee has decided to seek an allocation of Rs 20 crore from the Power Ministry, said Radhakrishnan.