CHENNAI: Government-run health institutions need at least 500 more doctors and over 10,000 healthcare professionals to ensure proper medical care in hospitals, Health Minister K. K. S. S. R. Ramachandran said. These needs would be met within two months, he promised.

At the launch of an orientation workshop on `National Rural Health Mission and Reproductive and Child Health Project' on Friday, he released a book on health indicators in the State.

Mr. Ramachandran said the third phase of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) project would be implemented by the year-end. He urged officials to ensure that health professionals working under them educated mothers. He assured them that all vacancies would be filled soon.

On phase 2 of the RCH project, Health Secretary V. K. Subburaj said NGOs in 187 blocks in 15 districts would be given ambulances. The Government would identify 885 primary health centres (PHCs) to take up outreach services this year. A sum of Rs. 30 crore was released to procure Ayurvedic, Homoeopathic and Siddha medicines for PHCs and sub-centres. The Government had started recruiting staff nurses for PHCs. Plans were afoot to provide mobile phones to village health nurses.

The Minister claimed that Rs. 480 crore was allotted for phase-II of the RCH project.

The phase I of the project, implemented in 180 PHCs in Madurai and Theni district in 1997, had brought down the infant and maternal mortality rate. Around 96 per cent of women in these districts went to hospitals for delivery. The project would be extended to 600 PHCs during phase II. It is partially funded by the Central Government, which would contribute Rs. 148 crore in the first two years. The State Government's contribution for the project would be Rs. 73.97 crore.

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