Days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposed to launch an integrated health mission to pep up urban health, the Union health ministry has started giving final shape to the `17,000-crore National Urban Health Mission.
Senior officials in the health ministry revealed that EFC note has been finalised and will be circulated this week. The NUHM aims to benefit the urban poor in seven metros and 772 cities with a population of more than 50,000.
“Earlier the Planning commission had given some suggestions which we have incorporated. The revised note is expected to be circulated this week,” a senior health ministry official said.
The government has planned to introduce the welfare scheme for a period of five years for which it will shell out `17,000 crores.
The NUHM proposal has been in the pipeline for a year now, the programme has been designed on the lines of National Ruraul Health Mission (NRHM). The scheme aims at providing providing accessible, affordable healthcare facilities, especially to about 28 crore poor and homeless India’s urban population.
The urban mission is expected to benefit the 6.9-crore slum population. Over 285 million urban people in India account for 28 per cent of the country’s total population. The programme had also planned to provide an insurance cover of `40,000-50,000 for basic medical care and outpatient facilities in both private and government hospitals for the urban poor, whose premium would be paid by the government.
NUHM had also planned to set aside at least 15 per cent of its budget for street children and the homeless.
With NUHM in vision, government expects to reduce the infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate by at least 50 per cent. “The programme has been designed keeping in view the vulnerable section of society. We expect to achieve a lot after three years of its introduction,” added the official.