Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Oct 09: Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir, no budgetary allocation was made to Directorate of Health Service Kashmir (DHSK) under National Health Mission (NHM)—raising an eyebrow on the functioning of the department.
The official document reads that under NHM no funds have been received by DHSK from State Health Society Jammu and Kashmir on account of COVID-19.
Official records available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads, “Under NHM, no funds have been received from State Health Society Jammu and Kashmir on account of Covid-19 by DHSK. However State Health Society Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu) has released an amount of Rs 20 lakh per district through District Health Society directly.”
It was also mentioned that besides Rs 20 lakh received from State Health Society Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu), an amount of four lakh rupees was also released to the State Surveillance officer under Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP).
This information was revealed by the Public Information Officer (PIO) of DHSK in a reply to the queries of a Right to Information (RTI) application.
Pertinently, the NHM was launched by the Government of India (GoI) in the year 2013 with an aim to make available accessible, affordable and quality universal health care, both preventive and curative, which would be accountable and at the same time responding to the needs of the people.
DHSK said that as per the information submitted by Chief Accounts Officer of the Directorate till August-31, no budgetary allocation on account of COVID-19 under non-plan was received—(KNO)
