For the first time ever, funds
allocated to states under the country's flagship National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM) will be cut by almost 15% if they fail to place doctors
and health workers (even on contractual basis) to districts with the
worst health index.
States
will also have to post performance audits of health facilities online,
failing which up to 7.5% of their total outlay will be deducted.
For the first time, NRHM's programme implementation plan (PIP) for the
year 2012-13 has put in place incentives to reward high performing
states and also punish those who fail. Rational and equitable deployment
of manpower (doctors, nurses, ANMs) has been given the highest priority
failing which states will be financially penalized.
Gupta
added, "We are in the process of bringing about basic systemic reforms
in NRHM so that our investments receive appropriate returns. We are
pushing states towards providing free medicines to all patients. I
expect by the end of next year, majority of the states would start
providing free generic medicines. Public health cadre is vital to run
health programmes on the ground and states which don't have one will be
given extra funds if they introduce such a cadre."
NRHM has been allocated Rs 20,400 crore for the year 2012-13.
Gupta
said, "As against national targets, we have now put in place state
specific goals regarding maternal mortality rate, total fertility rate,
family planning and infant mortality. We are also focusing on targeted
application of resources as NRHM's main agenda is critical gap filling."
source:http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-25/india/32408445_1_nrhm-national-rural-health-mission-cashless-delivery
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