VADODARA, Nov 22: State Health Minister Ashok Bhatt has stated that the State Government had initiated a detailed study of the health machinery in the State to identify the missing links in making it more people-oriented, responsible and meaningful.Bhatt, who was here last week to declare open the State government's school health check-up drive, said a new approach had been adopted to improve accessibility of health services and medicines to the rural masses and better equip referral centres.
With the referral centres being ill-equipped in terms of facilities and medical as well as para-medical staff, most of the load of health services in the rural areas fell on the main community health centres in the districts. ``The Government has decided to reduce the load by improving the scenario at the referral centres'', Bhatt said, during a briefing to the Information Department. The minister said a Urology Centre, with state-of-the-art technology, was ready in Vadodara and the people would start getting its benefits within a month, while efforts were being made to provide the city with a full-fledged, independent cancer hospital. He said efforts were on to avail financial assistance from prosperous Indian doctors settled in various parts of the world, and particularly in the United States. ``We expect a positive response from them,'' Bhatt hoped.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.