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New Delhi: Allaying concerns, the Health Ministry today assured Odisha that there would be "undiluted" flow of funds to it under the National Health Mission (NHM) under which States are provided support to strengthen its health care.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik who called on union Health minister J P Nadda urged the latter that the approved Project Implementation Plan for 2015-16 for NHM should continue in the existing sharing pattern of 75:25 (Central:State) without any "dilution".
Nadda said that there would be no cuts under NHM to the State and the NHM budget will continue undiluted to the State.
Under NHM, an amount of Rs 666.36 crore was released to Odisha as centre share in 2014-15, Union Health Ministry officials said.
Patnaik also emphasised the need to have a Super Specialty Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences at Cuttack on the pattern of NIMHANS Bangalore, to cater to the need of the entire eastern region.
He informed that his government has already identified 18.33 acres of land for the purpose at Ramdaspur in Barang Tehsil in Cuttack and said Odisha has submitted revised Detailed Project Reports along with estimates for establishing five new Medical Colleges at Koraput, Bolangir, Puri, Balasore and Baripada at a cost of Rs 2,450.90 crore.
Union Health Ministry officials said Nadda assured that the mental health institute will upgraded soon while while sanction has been given for the establishment of new medical colleges in five districts, officials said.
Patnaik said that his government has decided to allot an acre of land in Khurda district for setting up of Central Cosmetic Testing Laboratory which may be sanctioned early by the Ministry as that would facilitate testing of cosmetics manufactured in the entire eastern region including Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Assam.
Meanwhile, noting that his Ministry's focus is on strengthening drug testing labs, Nadda said the Centre will provide all support to Odisha for this as it is a centrally sponsored scheme.
Patnaik highlighted the need to upgrade the existing regional centre in Cuttack to State Cancer Institute and assist other medical colleges to enhance the Tertiary Cancer Care facilities in the state.
Nadda also said that funds will be provided for setting up of a Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences while approval has been given for upgradation of the regional cancer centre at Cuttack into an apex cancer centre.
Patnaik said his government has already handed over physical possession of 20 acres of land in Khurda district for setting up of the Central Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy and urged Nadda to expedite the establishment of the Central Research Institute.
The chief minister pointed out that the limited grant of Rs 5 crore provided under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi is "inadequate" to meet the increasing demand of Odisha State Treatment Fund Society which has been providing financial assistance to poor families for treatment of life threatening diseases and disorders since December 2011 and urged Nadda to consider enhancing the grant to Rs 10 crore per annum.
The Health minister said that approval has been given for setting up of central institute of yoga and naturopathy with 100 bed hospital in the state.
