New Delhi, Jan 21: Funds, which are released towards improving health care facilities in north eastern states, are not producing expected results despite governments' lenient policies, a top official said here today. "Considering lack of infrastructure and poorly manned health care centres in the North Eastern states, the government generously funded them for improving treatment facilities, but they were not bringing desired results," Secretary, Department of Health, J V R Prasada Rao said at the second North East business summit here.
Meanwhile, the government was also considering to award "industry status" to the health sector to improve the treatment facilities in the country, he said.
The government was providing 100 per cent cash and material support to the north eastern states while for other states the Centre provided 50 per cent and the rest was borne by the state government, he said.
About 10 per cent of the health budget which was about 700 crore rupees was given to these states. Keeping in view the population density and the area of these states the funds provided are adequate, he said.
"For other states the funds which are not utilised within a timeframe lapse, but for these states the amount is carried over to the next release," Rao said.
On the problems in the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam, he said malaria was a huge problem and special programmes were carried out to tackle it.
HIV/AIDS becomes a double jeopardy as there are numerous injecting drug users (IDUs) in these states and contribute a lot in the spread of the disease, he added.
Bureau Report