Ahead of the fast-approaching elections to the municipalities, the State Government has planned to launch new health infrastructure and services in the urban areas under the new National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) in a set time limit with focus on urban diseases.
According to official sources, the new programme will be funded both by the Government of India and the State Government. An estimated `50 crore will be utilised in the programme for the year 2013-14. Under the programme, it was targeted to set up 46 new PHCs and seven new CHCs in the urban areas, it said.
It has been decided that at present 42 towns and cities
covering all the 30 districts will be covered under the programme. Other urban local bodies will be covered under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The Urban Health Mission is being planned to improve the health status of the urban population, particularly poor and disadvantage section by facilitating equitable access to quality health care. For the purpose , the State Government has decided to revamp the existing public health service system with community based mechanism.
Giving details of the new programme, the sources said that it nvisages conversion among various nutrition, water, sanitation and hygienic services. All cities and towns with more than 0,000 population as per 2011 Census will be included under he programme in phased manner.
The programme will focus on the people living in slums and other low income neighbourhoods. The vulnerable population such as homeless, rag-pickers, street children, rickshaw pullers and other temporary migrants will be covered under the programme, it said.
City Health Missions, City Health Societies and City Programme Management Units will be formed at the UlB level for implementation and monitoring of the programme, sources said.
Chief Secretary Bijoy Kumar Patnaik who on Friday discussed with the Urban Development and Health Department officials relating to the implementation of the new NUHM asked the Health and Family Welfare Department to focus on typical urban diseases like diabetes, heart problems, neurological disorder and cancer.
He also directed both the departments' officials to work out implantation mechanism and set time limits for accomplishing various activities like engagement of personnel, ASHAs, formation of committees and identification of community based organisations to ground the project and to complete the preliminary processes by end of July.
While ANMs will be engaged for every 10,000 urban population, ASHAs will be engaged at slum level with 1,500 population. Mahila Arogya Samitis, Ward Swasthya Samities and City Coordination Samitis will be other organisational arrangements for carrying on the programme.
The Chief Secretary advised the Health department to make proper building design of PHCs and CHCs with proper ventilation, lightening and sanitary arrangements.
Among others, Housing and Urban Development department Principal Secretary Injeti Srinivas, Water Resource Principal Secretary SC Mohapatra and other senior officers participated in the deliberations.