Healthcare initiatives for urban poor need more attention: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said more attention was required on the healthcare initiatives for the urban poor.

According to a release from the Prime Minister's Office, Modi was briefed on the progress of various healthcare initiatives of the central government and India's progress towards Millennium Development Goals.

The prime minister said an evaluation should be made of the contribution of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan towards improvement of health indicators.

He also called for documentation and adaptation of the best practices in the healthcare sector across the country to enable their rapid scaling up for maximum benefit.

Modi noted that huge strides were being made in the Human Development Index and social parameters in areas where the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen significantly.

He said these benefits of low TFR should be brought before the people.

Modi asked the health ministry to keep an eye on acute health problems affecting specific parts of the country, such as Japanese Encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.