Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad today increased the Central share of funds for the Jammu and Kashmir under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) from earlier 85 per cent to 90 per cent. Besides, he also offered special incentives to the doctors in Jammu and Kashmir for serving in rural areas. ‘As an extraordinary measure to improve the health services in Jammu and Kashmir, centre has decided to pay special incentives to the doctors serving in rural areas over and above the salary,’ Mr Azad said while addressing a public meeting at Nowshera in Rajouri district to mark the seventh death anniversary of former Minister and senior Congress leader Master Bali Ram. The Minister said the sop was being offered to encourage the doctors to serve in the rural areas who generally avoid posting in the hilly and far flung areas. He also announced that henceforth Jammu and Kashmir would get 90 per cent central share under the flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) while the state government had to contribute only the remaining 10 per cent of the total allocations. ‘In other states of the country Central share under the scheme was only 75 per cent,’ the Union Health Minister added. Responding to the local demands, Mr Azad also announced a 100 bed hospital for Nowshera to be funded by the Centre adding,’ the existing 30 bedded hospital would be upgraded to 100 bed capacity for which the funds will be provided by the Centre.’ Listing mega projects taken up in the state under various sectors, the Union Minister said numerous projects under core health, education, Power and PHE sectors have been taken up to catapult the developmental profile of the state. UNI
