The Centre has released Rs 839.01 crore to Meghalaya in the last five years under the National Health Mission (NHM) to strengthen the healthcare system in the State.
Under the National Health Mission, the Government of India provides financial and technical support to states and union territories to strengthen their healthcare systems for provision of equitable, affordable healthcare to all its citizens based on requirements posed by the states in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).
According to official data, Rs 202.63 crore was released to Meghalaya in 2020-2021 under the National Health Mission (NHM). However, the spending by the State government was higher at Rs 213.36 crore.
In 2019-2020, Meghalaya received Rs 141.17 crore from the Central government under NHM. The expenditure by the State government was higher at Rs 166.24 crore.
In 2018-19, the Centre released Rs 145.06 crore but the spending by Meghalaya under NHM was Rs 159.81 crore.
The data also showed that in 2017-18, Meghalaya received Rs 189.02 crore and the amount utilised by the State government was Rs 169.14 crore.
Further, in 2016-17, the State got Rs 161.13 crore out of which Rs 152.85 crore was utilised for various healthcare projects under NHM.
NHM support is provided for provision of a range of free services related to maternal health, child health, adolescent health, family planning, universal immunisation programme, and for major diseases such as Tuberculosis, vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Kala Azar, Leprosy etc.
Other major initiatives supported under NHM include Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK), Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK), implementation of Free Drugs and Free Diagnostics Service Initiatives, Mobile Medical Units (MMUs), Tele-consultation services, Ambulance services, PM National Dialysis Programme and implementation of National Quality Assurance Framework in all public health facilities of all states and union territories.
Since public health and hospitals is a state subject, the primary responsibility to ensure payment of salary of human healthcare professionals including contractual employees lies with the respective State and union territory.
Therefore, under the National Health Mission (NHM), support is provided to states and union territories to augment health human resource on contractual basis including support for in-sourcing or engagement of doctors, specialist doctors and other health professionals for provision of equitable, affordable healthcare based on requirements posed by the states in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) and within their overall resource envelope.
