New Delhi,30 Apr (Lok Sabha):The Government has launched National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on 12th April 2005 to provide accessible, affordable, accountable, effective and reliable primary health care facilities, especially to poor and vulnerable sections of the population. NRHM has rejuvenated the demand for health services in Public Sector. The states have reported improved utilization of OPD and In Patient services and availability of critical inputs including medicines, diagnostic services and referral arrangements. The Government has operationalised NRHM through a detailed Framework for Implementation, which was finalized after consultations with all stakeholders and experts. Continuous and proactive handholding of states is inherent to the spirit of NRHM and all states are showing enthusiastic response to implementation of the Mission.
The architectural corrections envisaged under NRHM are dependent on overall capacity in the states. The key difficulties like shortage of critical Human Resources, limited availability of support services including clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in remote and underserved areas are being addressed on priority under the NRHM and other programmes.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.