Health Ministry allocation goes up by 202 percent

New Delhi:The tentative allocation for the Health and Family Welfare Ministry during the 12th Five Year Plan has gone up by 202 percent to reach Rs 3,00,018 crore, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

In a written reply to the House, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "As per the 12th Five Year Plan, document of Planning Commission, the tentative allocation for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is Rs 3,00,018 crore, which is an increase of 202 percent". He also said that the actual allocation for the Ministry during the 11th Plan period was Rs 99,491 crore. On ways to utilise the extra allocation, the Minister said, "Higher resources would support more activities in public health care, including improving health infrastructure". Replying to a separate question on deaths in Kalavati Saran Children`s Hospital here, the Minister said that out of the 23,179 children admitted there, 943 died till the month of July this year. He also said that a team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had visited the hospital recently. In reply to a question on disposal of bio-medical wastes, he said, "Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has prescribed guidelines for common bio-medical waste treatment facilities as well as for design and construction of incinerators and environmentally sound management of mercury waste generated from health care facilities". He also claimed that there is a decrease in quantity of bio-medical waste generation which was 405 tonnes per day in the year 2009. In 2009, total 355 tons of bio-waste were generated per day. The decrease in generation of bio-waste can be attributed to the proper segregation of waste generated at the source level, Azad said. PTI