Niti Aayog draws plan to revamp UP’s health sector

LUCKNOW: In the wake of alarming number of children dying in UP hospitals, a high-profile delegation of NITI (National Institute for Transforming India) Aayog directed the state government to implement swiftly an action plan for drastic changes in medical and health sectors.
Representatives of Niti Aayog had a day-long meeting with authorities of the health and planning departments here on Monday and addressed the challenges in the health sector staring at the most populated state of the country.This was the third such exercise taken up by the Niti Aayog—it held two such parleys earlier, on May 10 and July 23—apparently, on directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has taken up the agenda of development in UP on top priority and to interact constantly with the state authorities.
Additional chief secretary Sanjiv Sharan and principal secretary health Prashant Trivedi, who met the representatives did not share what transpired at the meeting, though Niti Aayog advisor Alok Kumar told TOI that action plan for the health sector comprised strengthening of primary and community health centres and district hospitals (PHCs, CHCs and DHs), filling up of vacant posts, expanding the range of medicines, sanctioning of funds, besides other remedial measures.
Kumar said that like Assam and Karnataka, now UP has also been selected for the SATH (sustainable action for transforming human capital) project.
Sanjiv Sharan chaired the meeting while Prashant Trivedi will now submit the plan to chief secretary Rajive Kumar and seek approval from chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi for implementation of the vision document for the health sector .
A senior IAS officer told TOI that UP government needs to engage private sector for public health goals, besides redeployment and training of teachers, as the challenges the health sector in the state is facing would take time to address.