Health bonzas under Atal Amrit

idu arriving in State on April 18

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 8: A slew of health bonzas are awaiting Assam under the Atal Amrit Health Scheme. Vice President of India M Venkaiah idu is bound for the State with a view to activating Atal Amrit Abhiyan Health Cards. He is arriving in the State on April 18, 2018.

Atal Amrit Abhiyan is a health assurance scheme for people lying below the poverty line and low-income households. Under this scheme, poor patients are supposed to get up to Ra 2 lakh fincial assistance against certain diseases a year. The State Government is investing Rs 400 crore under this scheme yearly so as to make the scheme going. Around three crore people of the State are set to be benefitted with this health assurance scheme which is implemented in the State even as activation of its cards is left. 

Speaking at a function organized for ceremonial distribution of Kayakalp Awards at the auditorium of the GMCH, Guwahati on Sunday, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “Most of the missions in Education and Health sectors in the State are doing well. In 2006 when the tiol Health Mission (NHM) was started in the State, the rate of materl mortality in the State was 480 per lakh. However, now the rate has come down to 180 per lakh. With the launch of NHM health service in rural areas in the State has got a boost. With the increase in the number of medical colleges in the State, every year around 600 doctors are produced against 300 earlier in the State. The works of gaon and Dhubri medical colleges have already been started, and 20 per cent work is over. Eighty per cent work of the medical college at Diphu is also completed. We’re also contemplating on setting up a medical college each at Tinsukia, lbari, Kokrajhar and Karimganj, besides the setting up of 19 cancer hospitals in the State with the help of Tata Group. Rs 200 crore has already been released for this purpose in March this year. We’re also contemplating on according status to NHM employees same as that of State Government employees. Now on all NHM workers will get salaries by fourth instant of every month.”       

As many as 47 hospitals of 18 districts were given Kayakalp awards under various heads at the function on Sunday. This apart, 110 next of kin of deceased employees of NHM, 34 of SSA and two of RMSA got fincial assistance.

MLA Abdul Khaleque, MLA Thaneswar Basumatary, State Health Department’s Principal Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Mission Director JVN Subramanyam and others were present at the function.