Question : ASSISTANCE FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL FACILITIES TO ASSAM

(a) whether the Union Government have contemplated a Policy to sanction a special central fund of adequate amount ranging from minimum of Rs. 1000 crore to Rs. 2000 crore including externally aided funding for the construction of necessary health and medical infrastructure including construction of Medical Hospitals, Medical Health Centres, Dispensaries and Blood Banks within the Bodoland Asutonomous Territory in the Northern bank of the river Brahmaputra so as to provide better health and medical service facilities to the Tribal people of Bodoland Region;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor; and

(d) the steps taken to save the parennial deaths of hundreds of helpless poor tribal people of the region in question due to the poor medical facilities prevailing in the region?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (PROF. RITA VERMA)

(a)to(c): Central Government has sanctioned Rs.12.5 crores to the Government of Assam for construction of Primary Health Centres in the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) area from non-lapsable central pool in the year 1999-2000.

(d): Various Public Health Programmes for malaria, tuberculosis, Leprosy, Blindness, AIDS and Reproductive and Child Health Programmes are being implemented all over the country including the State of Assam. The Programme Officers have also been directed to ensure that Plan funds to the extent of 8.1% for Tribal Sub-Plan are allocated in proportion to ST population as per 1991 Census. Further, a vast network of rural health infrastructure has been established throughout the country under the Basic Minimum Services to provide preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services to ensure a basic minimum standard of life for all sections of people living in the remote and backward areas. In order to improve health care delivery system, the population norms for establishment of primary health care institutions have been relaxed for hilly/tribal areas i.e. a Sub-Centre for 3,000, a PHC for 20,000 and a CHC for 80,000 population as against a Sub-centre for 5,000, a PHC for 30,000 and a CHC for 1,20,000 population in plain area.