The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Centre to keep tabs on NGOs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 27, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Centre to keep tabs on NGOs

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JUNE 26. The Centre is considering steps to check alleged misuse of funds by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Union Minister of State for Health, Panabaka Lakshmi, said here on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, Ms. Lakshmi said instances of NGOs misusing funds allotted by the Government had come to the notice of the ministry. She wanted the State Governments to take steps to cross check spending by organisations.

The Minister announced that mobile units for providing more healthcare facilities to people in the rural areas were planned as many villages in the country lacked even minimum facilities.

These units would have facilities to undertake minor operations.

Also on the anvil were trauma care centres in different parts of the country each costing Rs. 1.5 crores.

Ms. Lakshmi, who earlier reviewed national health programmes like TB, malaria, AIDS and family welfare at the Indian Institute of Health and Family Welfare after the directors concerned presented progress reports, said the Government was keen on offering better medicare to the needy.

With this objective, district and mandal-level hospitals in Andhra Pradesh would be upgraded. She invited proposals in this regard from the State.

She would strive to allocate more funds to the State which had already been allotted a budget of Rs. 271.30 crores by the Ministry from its allocation of Rs. 7,534 crores.

The amounts set apart from the State budget to various heads were Rs. 220.97 crores (family welfare) and Rs. 46.38 (health).

Replying to a question on the alleged violations of the Medical Council of India guidelines by some private medical colleges in the State, the Minister said she had held discussions two days ago on the issue with department officials.

To another query on the upgradation of the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences here into AIIMS status, she replied that the project required about 100 acres whereas 19 acres was available next to it.

In this regard she would hold discussions with the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

K. Damayanti, Director, State AIDS Control Society, who was present, said the organisation was implementing an integrated approach involving the departments of Women and Child Welfare, Health and Rural Development in the awareness, counselling and prevention programmes on AIDS.

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