Delhi budget: Plan outlay for health up by 33 per cent

NEW DELHI: Vowing to make Delhi the "health and well-being capital" of the country, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today set aside a plan outlay of Rs 2,490 crore for the health sector in the budget for 2013-14.

The outlay is an increase of 33 per cent up as compared to Rs 1,872 allocated in 2012-13

In the budget, Dikshit proposed to bring large section of lower and middle income group people under the ambit of "Delhi Arogay Kosh" scheme.

Under the new proposal, the income limit to get financial benefit under the scheme would be increased from the existing Rs two to Rs three lakh per annum. Financial assistance under the scheme will be provided to patients having income Rs 3 lakh per annum. The patients which get assistance under the scheme are those needing organ transplants and cardiac interventions, cancer treatment.

Dikshit also announced schemes to strengthen Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) to speed-up transportation of critically ill patients needing emergency medical care to health facilities.

The budget had proposed procurement of 100 new ambulances, which would expand the existing fleet of ambulances to 251.

Dikshit announced commencement of construction of seven new hospitals and nine new dispensaries in the coming year.

As of now, Delhi government runs 38 hospitals, including five super-speciality facilities, and 509 dispensaries.

In order to ensure safe blood transfusion in hospitals, Dikshit announced that Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) facility would be introduced in blood banks of government hospitals, which would ensure accurate screening of donated blood.

The CM also proposed to establish six additional Mobile Medical Units (MMU) for the North-East district with central assistance under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

The government has set target to screen around nine lakh school students for general check-up under the Chacha Nehru Sehal Yojana in 2013-14.

Dikshit said de-worming programme will be carried out to benefit 34 lakh children.

Declaring 2013 as the Year of Awareness for prevention and early detection of diabetes and hypertension, she also announced to set up Tobacco Cessation Clinics in all districts of Delhi.