Malaria control steps run into fund wall
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 03 2012:
With monsoons, during which outbreak of vector borne diseases normally occurs, only a few months away delay in releasing Central Government fund is likely to hamper various pre-emptive measures for curbing the diseases.
According to an informed source, Department of Health and Family Welfare (Vector Borne disease section) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provided the second instalment amount of Rs 203.40 lakhs for executing different programmes under the national Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.
As the sanctioned amount was not released by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) within the stipulated period of March 31, 2012 not only are employees enrolled for implementing the programmes deprived of their monthly entitlement but a number of awareness programmes and related activities remain in a dormant state.
Out of the total amount, reportedly in the account of NRHM, allocated to the State on February 23, 2012 as grant-in-aid, the shares of total fund under the three financial heads of Internal Aided Component (IAC) is Rs 66.23 lakhs, Domestic Budgetary Support (BDS) Rs 135.81 lakhs and Decentralised Support (DS) Rs 1.36 lakh.
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Under the IAC budgetary head the sanctioned amount was supposed to be utilised for salary of staff members engaged in human resource-related programmes, awareness campaigns on curbing Vector Borne Diseases, administration, planning, monitoring, inter-personnel and behavioural change communication activities.
Out of Rs 135.81 lakhs for DBS, salary for contract-basis staff and operational cost are supposed to be met while the allocation under DS (Rs 1.36 lakh) should be spent on purchase of mosquito nets, chemicals for treatment/soaking of the mosquito nets and spraying of DDT at high-breeding areas, detailed the source.
due to delay in releasing the Central fund, contract-basis personnel engaged for BDS and EAC-related programmes are yet to receive monthly salary since November last, maintained the source.
The delay is also hampering official process and preparation for launching various other Vector Borne Diseases control measures, it informed.
On the otherhand, a team from the national Institute of Malarial Research carried out study and identification of areas vulnerable to outbreak of vector borne diseases besides completing 'vector mapping' the latter entailing various other follow-up action.
As arrival of monsoons is naturally associated with outbreak of vector borne diseases paucity of fund is likely to impede emergency works, added the source.