Assam only Northeast State below national average in health

GUWAHATI, Dec 18: Assam is the only State in the Northeast that lies below the national average in so far as per capita health expenditure and number of government hospital beds available per lakh population are concerned. Per capita health expenditure in Assam was only Rs 471 and the number of government hospital beds available per lakh population was only 11 in the State during the fiscal 2008-09. In this sector, neighbouring Mizoram topped the list with a per capita health expenditure of Rs 1,611 and 128 government hospital beds per lakh population during the period.

Among the other States of the Northeast, Sikkim is ranked second from the top with a per capita health expenditure of Rs 1,446 and 173 government hospital beds available per lakh population, Nagaland 11th with a per capita health expenditure of Rs 794 and 85 government hospital beds available per lakh population, Arunachal Pradesh 12th with per capita health expenditure of Rs 771 and 188 government hospital beds available per lakh population, Tripura 13th with a per capita health expenditure of Rs 740 and 66 government hospital beds available per lakh population, Manipur 14th with a per capita health expenditure of Rs 695 and 94 government hospital beds available per lakh population, and Meghalaya is ranked 15th with a per capita health expenditure of Rs 690 and 106 government hospital beds available per lakh population.

This information to the Lok Sabha today came close on the heels of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) exposing many an area in which the Assam Health Department has failed miserably in the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). THE SENTINEL