Patna, August 30: After having fruitful talks with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Microsoft chief Bill Gates’ The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has deputed a taskforce, led by its countryhead Ashok Alexander, to explore the areas of cooperation in the health sector in Bihar.
The eight-member taskforce visited several flood-hit areas in Bihar before meeting Kumar at a high-level meeting here yesterday, state Health department’s Principal Secretary C K mishra said today.
With the thrust on undertaking further study of the areas where the foundation could reach help and play a big role, Mishra said the members of the taskforce discusssed various health schemes.
Mishra said the team was impressed with the success rate of the health schemes launched in Bihar.
The team, which arrived on August 26, visited flood-affected Madhepura and Samastipur districts to explore areas where the foundation could extend help.
It is already working in the state through an ngo in the field of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar).
It was a fruitful visit and we discussed health-related issues. The aim of the trip was exploratory in nature. We wanted to understand the situation first before deciding the area where the foundation could play a role,+ Alexander told mediamen here yesterday.
—Agencies