The National Rural Health Mission(NRHM) seeks to strengthen the public health delivery system at all levels in the country. It is being operationalised throughout the country. The Economic Survey for 2008-09 tabled in Parliament today states that as part of the NRHM 6.49 lakh ASHAs and link workers have been selected upto December 2008 out of which 5,63 lakh have been given orientation training and 4.12 ASHAs have drug kits. Strengthening of the PHCs for 24x7 services is a priority of the NRHM. Of the 22,370 PHCs in the country, only 1,263 of them were working 24x7 on March 31, 2005 (before the NRHM). The number of 24x7 PHCs today, as reported by the states is 7,212 signifying a big leap forward in getting patients to the government system. Over 159,92 lakh women have been brought under the Janani Suraksha Yojana for institutional deliveries in the last three years. So far, 8,645 other paramedics have been appointed on contract. 9,073 doctors, 1,875 specialists, 20,977 staff nurses have been appointed on contract in the states so far, reducing the human resource gaps in many institutions. Indian Public Health (IPH) Standards have been finalised and a first grant of Rs. 20 lakh was made available to all the district hospitals of the country to improve their basic services, given the increased patient load due to JSY and other programmes. So far 243 Mobile Medical Units are operational in the states. As per the Economic Survey, in the National AIDS Control Programme, major achievements during 2008-09 include scaling up targeted interventions for high risk groups to 1,271, counselling and HIV testing 101 lakh persons of which 41.5 lakh were pregnant women and providing ARV treatment to more than 2.17 lakh patients. – PIB Press Release New Delhi, Dated July 02, 2009
