Journalism of Courage
The Centre is set to rename the National Health Mission as Pradhan Mantri-Samagra Swasthya Mission (PM-SSM).
An announcement to this effect is expected to be made during the meeting of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) that will meet under the chairmanship of Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at Dehradun on Friday.
The CCHFW is an apex advisory body set up under Article 263 of the Constitution to provide support and advice to the Department of Health on policy formulation and to consider and recommend broad lines of policy in regard to matters concerning health. The health ministers of states are members of the CCHFW. The meeting of the CCHFW is part of the two-day Chintan Shivir organised by the Union Health Ministry on July 14-15.
According to a source, the Mission Steering Group (MSG), which is headed by the Union Health Minister, has already approved renaming of the NHM as the PM-SSM. The MSG is the highest policy making and steering institution constituted under the NHM.
The NHM was launched as National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) by then Manmohan Singh government in 2005. This was one of the flagship programmes of the then UPA government. In 2013, the Centre included the urban component in the mission. Last year, the Centre had decided to extend the NHM till March 2026, with an overall allocation of Rs 2.75 lakh crore. While the NHM was focused on primary and secondary care, the PM-SSM is aimed at developing tertiary care capacities at the district hospital level.
During the two-day Chintan Shivir, issues like medical, nursing and allied health education, National Organ Transplant Programme and District Residency Programme are expected to be discussed. Besides, a session on Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and Sickle Cell Disease is also planned.
