Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar on Monday said that ₹2,600 crore will be spent under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Yojna of the Union Government for setting up health centres.
Speaking to presspersons after watching the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address from Varanasi at KIMS in Hubballi on Monday, he said that the Union Government was spending ₹64,000 crore under the scheme and these health centres will be set up in every district in areas inhabited mostly by poor people.
The Minister said that under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme, ₹2,600 crore will be spent in the next five years of which 60% will be funding by Union Government under the 15th Finance Commission. The balance will be borne by the State Government, he said.
He said that the health centres will be set up in 17 medical colleges in the State. The State Government will fully support the Prime Minister’s vision and urban health centres will be set up in urban areas.
Emphasising the need for compulsorily taking the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, he said that the pandemic had not disappeared yet and that the only solution is proper vaccination. “When the pandemic disappears completely, only then we can think of living a normal life,” he said.
To a query, he clarified that as children have better immunity, no serious problems have been reported even after reopening of colleges and high schools. Now, primary schools have been reopened after taking all precautions. He said that if at all there were any cases of more than 1% infections reported among children, such schools will be closed.
Regarding dengue, he said that adequate precautionary measures are being taken and people also need to take steps to prevent stagnation of water around their houses.
KIMS Director Ramalingappa Antaratani, administrator Rajashree Jainapur and others were present.
