Question : HEALTH SERVICES IN NORTH EASTERN STATES

(a) whether the Government has assessed the health care needs of the people and health/medical services being offered in the North-Eastern States including Assam in the country;

(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to set up an AIIMS like Institution and nursing, pharmaceutical and paramedical colleges/institutes in the tribal dominated areas of the North-Eastern region including Kokrajhar in Assam;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other measures being taken by the Government to scale up health related services and education in the North-Eastern States?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 444 FOR 26TH APRIL, 2013

(a) Health care needs along with health and medical services being offered are projected annually in the Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) under National Rural Health Mission by all the States including the North Eastern States.

(b) Following the above projections, Central assistance is given to the States subject to the availability of resources. The areas of support include creation/upgradation of health infrastructure, augmentation of human resources, patient transport services, mobile medical units, drugs, equipment and logistics etc.

(c)&(d): The Central Government has setup the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong on the lines of AIIMS. Other Central intuitions are the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Sciences (LGBRIMH) Tezpur and the Regional Institute of Paramedical & Nursing Sciences (RIPANS), Mizoram. 16 ANM schools and 22 GNM schools have been sanctioned for North Eastern States including Assam.

Medical colleges are being setup in the tribal dominant areas of Kokrajhar & Diphu by the State Government of Assam.

(e) North Eastern States are given special dispensation by way of assured 10% allocation of the plan outlay under every Central Government scheme of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Under NRHM, the State share for NE States and special category states, has also been reduced to 10% only as against 25% for other states during the 12th Plan period. Norms for setting up health facilities have also been relaxed for NE States.