Sept 16, 2010 – NEW DELHI: To deal with the emerging challenges of urbanisation and the non-communicable diseases, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated the process for launching the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) on the lines of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
According to sources, the NUHM would be launched in 2011. It was after the success of the NRHM, the health mission for cities and towns was conceptualised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The NUHM would focus on primary health care services for the people, whereas secondary and tertiary care medical needs of the urban poor would be taken care of through a system of health insurance. Preventive, diagnostic and treatment facilities for different diseases would also be integrated into the basic package.
The NUHM is aimed at providing accessible and affordable healthcare to the 22 crore people living in the urban slums in 429 cities. The mission would also forge partnerships with the Ministry of Urban Development which is implementing a flagship programme for improving the basic infrastructure in the urban slums. It would take full advantage of the civic bodies in implementing health programmes.
Since the nationwide launch of the NUHM will take a few more months, the ministry has identified 33 cities with one million population or more for mobile facilities to carry out diagnostic tests for diabetes and hypertension and linking those in need of treatment to hospital facilities for free.
http://expressbuzz.com/nation/centre-to-launch-health-mission-for-urban-poor/207203.html
