Posts filed under ‘Advanced policies of health care sector’
Odisha govt to set up Drug Testing Laboratory at Sambalpur
Following is a report from the Sambad:
MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo urges PM for medical college in Balangir
Following report is from the Pioneer:
Balangir BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has demanded setting up of a medical college at Balangir in vie of the Union Government’s decision to establish 60 medical colleges in the country during the period from 2012 to 2017.
He, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has urged him to consider the request for medical college keeping in view the backwardness and poor health service facilities in this KBK region. Singh Deo has stated that as the Union Government has decided to allow Odisha four medical colleges out of the 60 during the Twelfth Plan period in partnership with the State Government, Balangir should be included in the list. Balangir is in the KBK region, where health conditions of the people are poor, he has pointed out.
The Balangir District Headquarters Hospital is facing infrastructure inadequacies though a lot of improvements have been made by the State Government. With a large number of patients needing healthcare, setting up of a medical college at Balangir would go a long way in this regard, said Singh Deo.
He has argued that setting up of a medical college would ease the severe shortage of medical professionals such as doctors and helping hands for medical care. Odisha has less number of Government medical colleges compared to the neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra, he has pointed out.
In fact a medical college is more than an educational institution for local people in backward pockets. It serves as a hospital for secondary and tertiary health facilities providing better service and facilities for locals in backward region, he has further pointed out. It may be noted that though the State Government tried to set up a private medical college with funds from the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC), private promoters have been backing out from the project.
Odisha urges centre for four government medical colleges
Following is a report from the Pioneer:
Health and Family Welfare Minister Damodar Rout on Friday demanded 100 per cent support from the Central Government for setting up of four new medical colleges in the State.
Rout pressed the demands before the Centre while attending a two-day meeting of Health Ministers and Secretaries from all States convened by the Union Health Ministry in New Delhi.
Highlighting the development in the health sector of Odisha, Rout sought more Central aids for different programmes being implemented in the sector. Expressing grave concern over the health condition of primitive tribals and their low population growth rate, he advocated for greater focus on the tribal dominated districts, particularly the Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput (KBK) region where both infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) as well as mortality and morbidity rates are high because of incidences of various diseases, especially malaria and diarrhoea.
In the last 11 years, Rout stated the State has made significant strides in bringing down IMR and MMR. Still, the IMR in the State is 57 per 1,000 live births and MMR 258 per lakh live births. The figures are still higher than the national average and hence much need to be done to reduce them,” said Rout, adding, “For development and upgradation of health infrastructure in the State, we need Centre’s full support.”
Rout also drew the attention of the Union Health Minister for opening of Regional Geriatric and Cancer Centres in all the Government medical colleges and sanctioning more ANM and GNM training centers for the State. Further, Rout urged the Central Government to increase its share in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and reduce the State’s share from 25 per cent to 15 per cent.
Health and Family Welfare secretary Pradeepta Kumar Mohapatra and Mission Director of NRHM (Odisha) Dr Pramod Meherda attended the meeting.
Following is another report from TOI:
BHUBANESWAR: In good tidings for aspiring medical students, Odisha is all set to have four new government medical colleges, reducing the competition for admission into MBBS to some extent.
In a new experiment, the Union government is planning to open over 60 medical colleges across the country in partnership with the state governments during the 12th five year plan period (2012-2017). The Union government would fund 75% of the cost while the respective states will bear the rest 25%.
Sources said the Centre has responded favourably to a proposal of the Odisha government to open four colleges in the state. A senior state government functionary said the Centre has already given its on-principle nod to the proposal. The medical colleges would have 100MBBS seats each to begin with, he said.
Confirming the state’s move, health secretary Pradipta KumarMahapatra told TOI, “We have proposed to convert four district headquarters hospitals into medical colleges under the new plan. We are hopeful the plan will materialize.” Mahapatra said the government will select the four district hospitals in due course of time.
Government sources said availability of MBBS seats will substantially increase from next academic year irrespective of the fate of the proposed four new colleges. The government is planning to add 100 MBBS seats in SCB Medical College from 2013-14. The government has already sought the permission of the Medical Council of India for the hike.
At present, there are 500 MBBS seats in government sector in the state. These include 150 MBBS seats each in the three state-government run colleges: SCB, VSS Medical College and MKCG Medical College and 50 MBBS seats in the Union government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
After increasing the seats in SCB to 250 from next academic year, the state is also planning similar increase in seats in the two other colleges in subsequent years. Similarly, the Union government has announced to increase the MBBS seats in AIIMS to 100.
In private sector, there are 400 MBBS seats at present, 100 each in the four private medical colleges including three in Bhubaneswar and one in Rourkela. The private sector seats are likely to go up by another 100 from next year when an upcoming private medical college at Jaring in Kalahandi district starts admission.
The Centre has responded favourably to a proposal of the Odisha government to open four colleges in the state. The medical colleges would have 100 MBBS seats each to begin with, officials said
NALCO to build medical college in Koraput
BHUBANESWAR: Public sector undertaking Nalco promised the state government on Thursday to open a 100-seat medical college and 300-bed hospital in tribal-dominated Koraput district. This raises the number of medical colleges in the pipeline in the state to 12, including three by PSUs.
“Responding to the government’s proposal, Nalco has come forward to establish a 100-seat medical college in Koraput as part of its corporate social responsibility. The company will submit its detailed proposal to the government within seven days,” health minister Prasanna Acharya said.
While National Thermal Power Corporation ( NTPC) is in the process of starting a medical college in Sundargarh, Mahandi Coalfields Limited is planning one in Talcher.
“Land identification and alienation for the MCL college will be done at the earliest,” the minister said after reviewing various proposals of establishing medical colleges in the state. To meet the shortage of laboratory technicians in hospitals, the government has also requested MCL to start a DMLT training centre.
New Delhi-based OSL Group’s Centre for Joint Disorders will established a 150-seat medical college, 750-bed super-speciality hospital, a dental college and a nursing college in Bhubaneswar. The group has promised to start work within two months, the minister said.
The upcoming Sardar Rajas medical college and hospital at Jaring in Kalahandi district, being established by Selvam Education and Charitable Trust of Tamil Nadu, will start admitting students from the next academic year, the minister said.
The sDFID of UK has been preparing a report to facilitate a medical college in Balangir. Similarly, land transfer work for the proposed medical college by Sahyog Foundation in Keonjhar will be fast-tracked, the minister said.
Acharya said the government would soon examine the proposals of Basantidevi Charitable Trust and Bidyabharti Charitable Trust as well to open a medical college in Rayagada. The government has also agreed in principle to a proposal from Shankar Netralaya of Chennai to start a 200-bed eye hospital in Berhampur. The government on Tuesday asked Bangalore-based Narayana Hrudayalaya, which has taken land from the state government to establish a super-speciality hospital in Bhubaneswar, or start work or return the land. The group assured to start work by September.
Following is another report from the Samaja:
Odisha govt.’s dream proposal to establish twelve new medical colleges
Following report is from the Sambad:
Govt plans a health insurance scheme that will cover for all Indians
Following is from The http://www.hindustantimes.com:
A health insurance scheme that will cover every Indian is on the cards. A committee of experts appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and headed by K Srinath Reddy, chief of the Public Health Foundation of India, is working on a public-funded scheme, likely to be introduced in the 12th Five Year Plan, starting in 2012-13.
“We are looking at a scheme where people will pay premium depending on their income,” said Planning Commission member secretary Sudha Pillai.
For instance, the government may pay the entire premium for those below the poverty line. For the better off, the government’s contribution will diminish the higher the individual’s income.
This scheme is likely to cover not only hospitalisation expenses, but also treatment undergone at listed hospitals. Most private health insurance schemes cover only hospitalisation. It will also provide cover for conditions private schemes frequently do not — like heart ailments and pregnancy.
The scheme also intends the Centre to pay a higher premium for women — across all sections.
There is already a health insurance scheme under the Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana for BPL families. Close to half of 6 crore BPL families are covered under this scheme. In the next step, all those enrolled in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will be covered, followed by women enrolled in over 10 lakh angwanwadi centers around the country.
According to the National Sample Survey Office, an Indian spends 80 % of his health expenses on buying medicine. The high cost of treatment makes health services unaffordable to many.
Presently, over 90 % Indians are not covered by any public or private health insurance.
Orissa has urged NALCO and SAIL to set up medical colleges
Following is from the Telegraph:
Bhubaneswar, Jan. 7: The Orissa government has urged the central public sector undertakings (PSUs) operating in the state to help it set up medical colleges in the state.
Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the progress of various proposed medical colleges in the state.
At present, the state has six medical colleges. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Mahanadi Coal Field Limited (MCL) have agreed to set up two medical colleges.
MCL has agreed to set up a medical college at Talcher. NTPC too has agreed in principle to the proposal. It is yet to decide the location of the new college.
The state government has also approached Nalco and SAIL to help develop the state in this regard.
Investment to the tune of Rs 150 crore is needed for a medical college with a capacity to enrol 100 students per annum.
The state currently has three government medical colleges— MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, SCB Medical College, Cuttack and VSS Medical College, Burla. Besides the government colleges, there are three private medical colleges.
The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIMS) is setting up its unit in the capital city. At the meeting today, it was decided that a regional paramedical training centre would be set up at Bhubaneswar at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore to impart training to para-medical staff.
Health department sources said many organisations have submitted their proposals to set up medical colleges in backward districts like Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Balangir.
Of these, the Sahyog Health Care and Research Foundation (SHRF) has already inked an MoU with the state government to set up a multi-specialty medical college and hospital. The hospital-cum-college, at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore, would be ready by 2012.
Orissa health minister Prasanna Acharya said: “The state government would encourage establishment of more and more medical colleges and hospital in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. A proposal has been sent to Centre for establishment of one medical college and hospital in PPP mode at Koraput.” The state government has granted a no objection certificate to Hi-Tech Hospital authority to establish one medical college in Rourkela.
Decks have been cleared for the setting up of another medical college in Balangir.
Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) will fund the project.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 