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2000 — 2010
National Rural Health Mission
On a Mission to Empower The National Rural Health Mission has provides accessible, affordable and accountable health services to the poorest households
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s healthcare is now one of the thrust areas for the Government of India, there is an increased focus on primary healthcare coupled with increasing health spend, every fiscal year. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has been the main vehicle for giving effect to the above mandate. The Goal of the Mission is to improve the availability of and access to quality healthcare by people, especially for those residing in rural areas, the poor, women and children. Launched in 2005, NRHM is an overarching umbrella initiative which subsumes the existing programmes of Health and Family Welfare and seeks to be the omnibus vehicle for sector wide reform. The NRHM programme is now rapidly spreading across the entire country and has achieved overwhelming success. It has achieved it all--reduction in infant mortality and maternal mortality rates; universal access to public health services such as women’s health, child health, water, sanitation & hygiene, immunization, and nutrition; prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including locally endemic diseases; increasing access to integrated comprehensive primary healthcare; achieving population stabilisation, gender and demographic balance; revitalization local health traditions and mainstream AYUSH and promotion of healthy life styles.
Fact File n Around 8 lakh ASHAs selected n Health and sanitation committee in 4.95 lakh villages n 1,589 specialists, 8,648 MBBS doctors, 25,790 staff nurses, 46,351 ANMs, 17,575 paramedics
Online Healthcare
Virtual Health Healthcare adopts internet as one of the latest technology tools that can enhance the delivery and reach to the masses
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Fact File n There are around 1.734 billion internet users across the world n Asia accounts for almost 43 percent of the total internet users, which is the highest compared to any other region
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ealthcare has readily adopted internet as one of the latest technology tools that can enhance the delivery and reach of healthcare to the masses. Just at the click of a button, a user can have access to a gamut of healthcare services being offered by various online healthcare providers, now-a-days. As traditional healthcare delivery models make way for alternate resources, online healthcare has unlimited scope, considering the widespread usage of internet services. Although healthcare needs still require visiting a doctor, it is still worthwhile to have minor issues sorted out virtually. Allowing patients to access online healthcare services can become a new conduit for exchange of health information. Online healthcare is equally beneficial for physicians as they can put in extra hours and make themselves available from their homes, as well. For insurance companies, the benefit lies in the fact that online healthcare is able to shift health delivery from the more expensive sites, the hospital or clinic, to a cheaper online option. All in all it’s a win-win deal for all.
> www.ehealthonline.org > January 2011