NEW DELHI: The ambitious National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has failed to achieve its target of selecting and training the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) — the central component of the mission who would be the first port of call for health related demands including basic curative care.

The target for the year 2005-06 was to select and train 40 per cent of the 2.5 lakh ASHAs in the 10 "high focus" States, but a review of the status of implementation of the NRHM components at the Steering Group meeting here on August 30, revealed that only Madhya Pradesh had shown some progress. In other States there was no or little progress.

The State ASHA models were to be finalised by May this year while selection and training of ASHAs in the "high focus" States was to be done by August.

The draft for ASHA models has been finalised only in Himachal Pradesh (high focus States), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh and Punjab.

Among the high focus states (other than the North-east), State and district action plans for the implementation of the mission have been drafted only in Madhya Pradesh which also takes the lead in the selection of two Community Health Centres for upgradation to the Indian Public Health Standards. The only other States where CHCs have been identified for upgradation are Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Punjab and West Bengal.

Performance benchmark

The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Centre and the States to integrate all health programmes under the NRHM — indicating performance benchmark that is a precondition for release of the second instalment of funds in October — had not been signed with any State until July 31.

Sources told The Hindu while the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry claimed that 22 per cent of the funds had been released until July, there was no separate fund for the Mission and the money disbursed was under various health schemes. Also, the Department of Expenditure has on May this year asked various Departments not to release funds to defaulting entities after June 30, without clearance from the Finance Ministry.

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