184 districts identified for focussed healthcare, says PM

184 poorest performing districts of the country have been identified for focussed attention in terms of healthcare, involving infusion of resources and conduct of specific programmes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here today.
Listing out achievements and strides made by India especially in materal and child health, he exuded confidence that India would reach close to achieving the millennium development goal of reducing under-five mortality rate.
Addressing an international conference on healthcare here, he said India had eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus much before the global target date of December 2015 and that the country stands ready to help others in this area with technology and programme intervention.

India needs to institutionalise a system where marginalised communities receive universal healthcare and financial protection as "unfortunate health espisodes" are making people financially weak, he said.
"One of our major concerns is equity. As a step towards ensuring equitable health services across regions that suffer from intra-state disparities, and to bring about sharper improvements in health outcomes, a total of 184 poorest performing districts all over the country have been identified.
"Special efforts are being made to put in more resources and focussed programmes in these areas," he said here while addressing the 'Global Call to Action' Summit 2015 being attended by representatives of 24 nations.

Modi also underlined his government's commitment to ensuring that no child in India dies of a vaccine-preventable disease and said the largest immunisation drive another mission known as "Mission Indradhanush" has been launched.
It seeks to accelerate the annual rate of immunisation from existing 1 per cent to more than 5 per cent per year so as to achieve more than 90 per cent coverage by 2020.