Suresh, You can add this 'Arogyasree' scheme of AP to the list of PM/CM/Ambedkar/VicePresident Funds.
=========================================================== Centre says rural service is a must Hyderabad, April 7: Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said on Saturday that the Centre would make it mandatory for medical graduates to serve in rural areas for a year from 2008-09. "Medical students will not be given licence to practice or go for further studies till they have completed the one-year rural posting after internship. They will be eligible for registration only after rural service," Dr Ramadoss said. He was speaking to the media after the foundation stone ceremony of the Indian Institute of Public Health at Rajendranagar on the city outskirts. State governments could pay a stipend for rural service, he said. "There are 262 medical colleges, both private and government. At least 29,000 medical graduates are being produced every year," he said. He said that his ministry would make yoga classes compulsory in schools. "We are making yoga classes compulsory in schools and working with the Union human resources ministry. Yoga will be of great use for the students," Dr Ramadoss said. He said the Union health ministry would be setting up a network of trauma care centres along the National Highways. The network would have a telephone every 5 km, an ambulance service every 50 km, a trauma care centre every 100 km, a speciality centre every 300 km and a super speciality trauma centre every 500 km. "At least, Rs 1,200 crores will be spent for setting up the trauma care centres," he said. Dr Ramadoss said that the Centre would replicate Arogyasaree, the AP government's medical health insurance for the poor, in other parts of the country. "We will also support the scheme in AP. There is already a health insurance scheme but there are a few takers." He observed that under Arogyasree, a person gets cover for Rs 1.5 lakh for a premium of Rs 330. Dr Ramadoss said that India was helping Germany and Hungary set up ayurveda universities as the system of medicine fast catching on in Europe. "We are helping them in setting up the ayurveda universities and sharing expertise," Dr Ramadoss said. He said that India was also exporting ayurvedic medicine on a large scale. Dr Ramadoss said the government would spend Rs 120 crores in the next few years under the Golden Triangle partnership with the CSIR and the ICMR to work on scientific validation and drug development for Indian systems of medicine and homeopathy in India. "We are promoting medicinal plants which is growing as a big industry. We have sanctioned it Rs 50 crores, and estimates say that the industry would grow into $5 trillion," Dr Ramadoss said.
