CSF: What about Christians? Muslims at the bottom of healthcare: Kapil Sibal

Uttar Pradesh, September 30, 2012: Kapil Sibal, minister for HRD, communications and IT Saturday said that the Muslim community in India was at the “bottom of the pile” as far as healthcare was concerned.

“It is unfortunate, but health parameters indicate that the Muslim community in India are at the bottom of the pile. We face great challenges in the field of health. Our health services in rural areas are inadequate, availability of doctors and trained health personnel is far from satisfactory, Sibal said while addressing an audience at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

He added: “The cost of healthcare is creeping up beyond the reach of the common people. Lower level of education and income, which are important social determinants of our nation’s health, also severely affect health outcomes in rural areas as well as amongst the Muslim community.”

Sibal was the chief guest at the ceremony held to observe the golden jubilee of the college.

He also called upon AMU students to play their due role “by coming forward and fulfilling the dreams of their founding father, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, by playing a lead role in serving their environment through poverty and illness elimination programmes”.

Earlier, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, built at a cost of Rs.397.81 lakh.

Azad also laid down the foundation stone for the upgradation of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College hospital under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY), Phase-II at a cost of Rs.150 lakh.

Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of J.N. Medical College at the Kennedy Auditorium, Azad announced that 19 medical colleges of the country including J.N. Medical College were being upgraded to the level of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

He also announced that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare would provide all financial grants and amenities at par with those of top central government hospitals in New Delhi.

– ians

Khudai Khidmatgar to monitor govt schemes for minorities

New Delhi, September 16, 2012: A group of Activists from Khudai Khidmatgar has decided to monitor at the district level all minority welfare schemes started by government agencies, the ones from Ministry of Minority Affairs and Prime Ministers 15 points programme prominent among others.

They also decided to organize a nationwide awareness campaign by Khudai Khidmatgar, Mr.Faisal Khan the Chief of Khudai Khidmatgar led the team to the discussion meeting with the officials of National Commission for Minorities. Wajahat Habibullah, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities (NCM), Syeda Bilgrami Imam, member and other officials of the commission participated in the meeting on Sept 14.

Chairman Mr. Wajahat Habibullah in his address said that, “It is appreciable that Khudai Khidmatgar is continuously working on the upliftment of minorities by practicing communal harmony, peace and creating awareness on various schemes for minorities from the Commission and from various Institutions, there will be investigation with the subordinate officials about the utilization of resources allocated to minorities, the Commission has identified 100 thickly minority populated districts all over India. Mr. Habibullah further said that we will plan to have a statistical report about the blocks and the activity of the Commission will based on block level.

NCM Member Syeda Bilgirami Imam shown her keen interest on the comments and the views that was given by Khudai Khidmatgars and she expressed her views and alternative solutions for the problem faced by the minorities.

Khudai Khidmatgar Chief Mr.Faisal Khan appreciated the opportunity given by the Minority Commission and he promised that Khidmatgars will follow the method of awareness on the society with proper direction of the commission. Members of Khudai Khidamatgar from various parts of the Country attend this meeting. Gulam Jilani, Rahil Iqbal from Delhi, Mohd. Faizan from Uttar Pradesh, Ahsan Raza from Bihar, Nasir Pathan from Gujarat, Jeyaraj from Tamil Nadu, Vishwanath Mathur from Haryana, Naseem from West Bengal, Nizamuddin from Puducherry . Khudai Khidmatgar Secretary Inamul Hasan, Qamar Intekab, Ulema Wing Convenor Maulana Fateh Mohd. Nadwi, Youth Wing Convenor Mohd. Anas and Tabish Batti, Faiz Ahmed also attended this meeting.

– tcn