Urban health mission to be launched soon

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The government would soon launch a National Urban Health Mission to address healthcare needs of the urban population, officials said Monday.

The new scheme has been formulated by the ministry of health and family welfare as a sub-mission under an overarching National Health Mission (NHM) to be launched during the 12th Five Year Plan, senior health ministry officials said here Monday.

The NUHM was a listed scheme under the 11th Five Year Plan with an approved outlay of Rs.4,500 crore and Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) also approved the scheme in its meeting held on Sep 12, 2008. However, the scheme could not be launched.

The proposed scheme aims to improve the health status of the urban population, particularly slum dwellers and other vulnerable sections by facilitating equitable access to quality healthcare with the active involvement of the urban local bodies (ULBs), the officials said.

It proposes to cover 779 cities and towns, including 7 metros with population of 50,000 and above, they said.