'Government fully committed to healthcare'

The central government is fully committed to providing improved health facilities to the people and does not discriminate between states in this matter, Minister of State for Health Santosh Chowdhary said Friday.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has proved to be a boon in strengthening the health infrastructure in the country, Chowdhary said at a health awareness camp held in Hoshiarpur in Punjab, according to an official release here.

She said the central government has provided money to the states to improve the health infrastructure and other facilities.

While the central government has sanctioned Rs.2,200 crore in the past six-seven years to Punjab, Rs.65 crore was given to the state under the national free medicine programme for the current financial year, the minister added.

Expressing satisfaction over the improved sex-ratio in Punjab, she said the credit for this achievement goes to the social health workers and anganwadi workers at the ground level.