Orissa fails to spend central healthcare fund as hundreds die of cholera, dirrehea

By Ratikant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 8: Orissa government's failure to utlise central funds is not limited to National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme only – it has also utterly failed to spend money given under the scheme of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), even as hundreds of people die due to malnutrition, hunger and starvation every year.

A review of the implementation of the NRHM on Friday revealed that since the 2005 – the year the programme was launched – the state has not been able to utilise the yearly allocation made by the Centre.

In 2005-05, Rs 114.36 crore was given to the state. However, the state government managed to spend only Rs 45.34 crore. Similarly, as against a sanction of Rs 154 crore in 2006-06, only Rs 94.16 crore was spent.

For the current fiscal, the state government had asked for Rs 400 crore central allocation for NRHM programme. The Centre responded positively by generously sanctioning Rs 423.65 crore, more than the demand. Of the total allocation, Rs 90 crore has been released so far. However, surprisingly, the state government has spent only Rs 40 crore.

Another lapse was found in utilisation of fund provided for Rogi Kalyan Samitis. Although Rs 5 crore was given to Rogi Kalyan Samitis, the government could spend only Rs 97.79 lakh. Same was the case in respect of construction of buildings for primary health centres community health centres. Of the Rs 61 crore given for the purpose, only Rs 7 crore has been spent, the review found.

Struck by such a hard reality during the review, chief minister Naveen Patnaik asked the health departmental officers to gear up the administrative machinery and reach out the people in rural areas.

It was decided in the meeting that district headquarters hospitals in Mayurbhanj, Koraput, Bolangir and Rourkela district headquarters will be upgraded as medical colleges.

Periphery doctors with 10-15 years experience will teach the students in the proposed medical colleges. The expenses of these colleges will be met from state allocation and NRHM fund.

It was also decided to reduce the maternal mortality rate from the current 358 to 100, infant mortality rate to 75 from 50 per 1000. At 1000 staff nurses and 43,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers will be recruited to assist doctors in rural pockets, the meeting resolved.

Taking note of the doctors' unwillingness to serve in rural areas, the meeting decided to construct well-furnished quarters. Both state and central agencies will be entrusted to construct quarters.

It may be noted here that at least 250 people have died in cholera and diarrhea in the Western Orissa since July due to poor healthcare.