DONER will provide 109cr for ramping healthcare in NE

The Ministry for  Development of the North-eastern Region will sanction 190 crore rupees for augmentation of a healthcare facility in the eight North Eastern States including Sikkim. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the fund will be utilized for developing infrastructure for management of infectious diseases. An important experience gained from the pandemic is that in the future, pre-emptive preparedness for epidemic and infection is imperative for optimum healthcare. Considering this, the Ministry of DONER has given the North Eastern States the option to send proposals for health-related projects to be funded up to over 500 crore rupees from North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme, said Dr. Jitendra Singh heading the Ministry for DONER. Proposals have been received from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram and Nagaland. The proposal from the  State of Tripura is awaited. Dr. Singh also complemented the Aspirational Districts of Goalpara and Dhubri in Assam for having achieved Ayushman Bharat coverage of nearly 100 and 85 percent. Dr. Singh, also Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, was interacting online with  Health Secretaries as well as Deputy Commissioners and Health officials of the 14 Aspirational districts of Northeast. He reviewed the COVID status and healthcare facility in Aspirational districts with a special focus on the North East. Dr. Singh said, the concept of Aspirational District was based on 49 key indicators, of which the status of healthcare was an important component.