Guwahati: Union minister of state for health and family welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said Assam's progress in curbing maternal mortality was still unsatisfactory.
Choubey, who is on his first tour to the Northeast after becoming a minister, spoke of the current health scenario of the state while inspecting the Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory here on Friday evening.
"In Assam, 300 out of 1,000 mothers die every year because of lack of proper treatment. It is more than the national average. Assam's scenario is worse than that of states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar," he said.
On the lack of doctors in the country, the minister said, "Crisis of doctors is still a problem for us. In Assam, there is only one doctor against 3,000 persons. In other places of the Northeast, the situation is more critical, with only one doctor against around 4,000 people. By 2022, we aim to solve the problem by appointing 17 lakh doctors."
The government will also engage homoeopathic doctors by training them through a bridge course.
Stressing the development of the health sector of the region, the minister said, "The rate of maternal mortality is 383 per thousand. We will have to do much more."
He said 639 wellness centres would be soon set up in the state under the National Urban Health Mission.
The Centre aims to set up 1.5 lakh wellness centres across the country and has sanctioned Rs 1,200 crore. More funds will be released for the scheme, he added.
In Nagaon, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Goalpara and Karbi Anglong districts, the Centre will implement Mission Indradhanush under the health ministry.
On the setting up of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Assam, the minister said, "We have already sanctioned Rs 1,123 crore to set up an AIIMS in Assam and construction will begin soon. The super-speciality hospitals in Guwahati and Dibrugarh will start operations as soon as possible. In Guwahati, we have to get permission from Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority and then the hospital will be open."
The government has also sanctioned Rs 19.79 crore for the development of a regional drug testing laboratory. A new building will be open within three months.
