Agartala, July 10 (TIWN) A high level team of the state government is heading for New Delhi to discuss on requirements and availability of funds under the National Health Mission (erstwhile NRHM) on July 17, official sources said. The NHM authorities delayed fund release to Tripura alongwith many other states of the nation this financial year causing serious disruptions in reaching guaranteed heathcare to people, the source stated.

Asked about the issue, Tripura Mission Director of the National Health Mission Dr. Sandeep Mahatme said that funds were delayed from the NHM compared to previous years by a few months. “They usually released funds in May or June. We received funds for a few programmes like immunization and reproductive and child health programme under NHM in the last 48 hours”, he said. “This might have been caused due to technical difficulties during the recently concluded Lok Sabha election process”, Dr. Mahatme stated.

 The official, however, said that the delay in fund release didn’t do much harm to disbursement of medical healthcare since a large amount of fund was unspent in the last financial year.

“They gave us most of the fund at the very fag end of the last financial year. Few came as late as March 31”, he said.

Funds for the National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio vascular Diseases and Stroke,National Vector Borne Disease Control Program are learnt to have been mostly unspent last year.

Dr. Mahatme added that the National Planning and Coordination Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on July 17 at New Delhi. A delegation from the state government headed by him is expected to attend the meeting.

A separate source today said that large amounts of funds of the NHM were unspent in 2013-2014 though the funds arrived well before completion mark of the financial year. Rs. 2 crore was sanctioned to Tripura in September, 2013 under the National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio vascular Diseases, the source said.