Stung by the dismal performance on various health parameters of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, the state health department has started deliberation to prepare draft of new health policy.

On Thursday, a workshop of officers of National Health Mission (NHM) and the health department was organised under the aegis of the Uttarakhand Health System Development Project’ to discuss the issue.

Speaking on the occasion, the mission director of NHM, Yugal Kishore Pant said that the State Government has taken a decision to implement the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for improvement in the health services.  He said that the health and population policy of the state is needed to be prepared as per the prevailing conditions and health services parameters.

He emphasised for the need of creating a policy which is in conversant with the prevailing condition and which is near to the ground realities. Pant said that the Asha workers, ANMs, medical officers from blocks and supervisors have been invited to the workshop to share ground realities.

The director general (DG) health services, Dr Amita Upreti said that the new health policy should be drafted in accordance with the standards laid down by the NITI Aayog. She said that Uttarakhand should strive to complete the targets stipulated by the union government ahead of the time.

Officer of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ashish Vikram gave an elaborated account of the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals of the United Nations and health indices for the health policy.

The workshop was attended by Dr Tripti Bahuguna, Joint Director of UKHSDP Dr Amit Shukla, Chief Medical Officers of the districts and other officers of health department.