West Bengal News: West Bengal has taken another step forward in improving rural healthcare services. The Central Government has approved a fund of ₹391 crore for the state under the National Rural Health Mission (NHM). It is understood that this amount has been released to the state as the first installment for the current financial year. There had been a prolonged tussle between the Centre and the state regarding this allocation. Finally, this fund has been sanctioned for the development of rural health infrastructure in the state.
This central allocation will primarily be used for the infrastructural development of health centers in rural areas of the state, the establishment of new ‘Ayushman Arogya Kendras’, and the overall improvement of medical services. According to various sources, this fund was approved after the state government agreed to rename the Health and Wellness Centres in the state as ‘Ayushman Arogya Kendra’, as per the Central Government’s directive. Earlier, there was a delay in receiving this fund due to non-fulfillment of central conditions.
According to sources in the State Health Department, this money will be distributed among the districts as per their requirements. The main objective of this allocation is the modernization of rural hospitals, block primary health centers, and sub-health centers, procurement of necessary equipment, and ensuring better services for patients. Special attention will be given to ensuring that people in remote villages have easy access to quality healthcare services.
In this context, it is noteworthy that improving rural health infrastructure is one of the top priorities of the state government. Experts believe that this financial assistance from the Centre will further strengthen these efforts. It is hoped that this will provide better healthcare services to the general public of the state, especially the residents of rural areas, and reduce their hardships in accessing treatment. The state government plans to utilize this fund promptly to overhaul the rural health system.
