(a) whether any special arrangements have been made for rural scheduled Caste Community under the National Health Policy; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
(a) whether any special arrangements have been made for rural scheduled Caste Community under the National Health Policy; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) & (b) Health is a State subject and State Governments are primarily responsible for provision of health care for the citizenry at large including the rural scheduled caste population. The National Health Policy-2002 gives overriding importance to ensuring a more equitable access to health services across the social expanse of the country. In order to met the objective of reducing such inequities and imbalances between economic classes and allow the disadvantaged sections of society a fairer access to public health services, the Policy envisages to increase the sectoral outlay in the primary health sector. Further, the Policy also emphasises that the State Governments will need to design separate schemes, wherever required, tailor made to the health needs of socio-economically under-served sections of population under the overall umbrella of macro-policy prescriptions contained in the National Health Policy, 2002. Government of India is, however, implementing the National Health Programmes for control of major communicable and non-communicable diseases like Malaria, TB, Leprosy, AIDS, Blindness, Cancer and Mental Health which covers the entire country, including the scheduled caste population, both in urban and rural areas.