Nitish Kumar govt to launch initiative against child marriage in Bihar

The Bihar government will launch a drive against child marriage and provide financial assistance for a supplementary diet to pregnant women and new born children.

This was decided at a review meeting of Health department chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Health minister Mangal Pandey were present in the meeting.

Briefing about the meeting, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that state government would launch a comprehensive drive against child marriage in the state from Gandhi Jayanti.

The money would be transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries for a supplementary diet to pregnant women and new born children of six months till two years.

Earlier, the CM flagged off ambulances which would crisscross the state to provide medical assistance to needy, particularly elderly population.

The chief secretary said it was decided to include three diseases bone-marrow transplant, haemophilia and surgery of transgender - in the existing list of 11 diseases for which monetary assistance is provided by CM Medical Assistance fund at present.

He said it was also decided to provide medical assistance to cancer patients going to Tata Memorial hospital in Mumbai for treatment through Commissioner Investment of Industries department posted at Mumbai.

The meeting resolved to increase vaccination coverage to 90 per cent in the state by 2018 to bring it among top five states in the country.

Priority household families would be provided free dialysis facility, the CS said.

The number of mortuary vans would be increased for carrying a body after death in government hospitals.

The CM in course of holding a review meeting of PHED (Public Health and Engineering Department) gave the instruction to provide pure drinking water in arsenic and fluoride affected areas within two years.