The government has also decided to introduce the Essential Drug Policy (EDP) to provide cheap and quality drugs in government hospitals and adopt two new districts -- Mandi and Kangra, under the Revised National Tuberculous (TB) Programme. Already Hamirpur district has been covered under the pilot programme and eight more districts are being brought under its purview.

Addressing a press conference here, Minister for Health and Medical Education J P Nadda, said today that the World Bank aided Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Project was being seen as major break-through in rural health care and family planning programmes. Modalities for implementation of the project were being worked out and local societies headed by deputy commissioners of respective districts would be formed soon. The societies would engage well "qualified" consultants and NGOs to provide assistance in providing health care to women and children. He dispelled apprehensions on engaging bogus NGOs and consultants in the programme.

Nadda informed that the RCH sub-project was already being implemented in Sirmaur and the tribal district of Kinnaur with the active assistance of UNFPA and World Bank respectively. The allocation for Sirmaur was Rs 2.66 crore and that for Kinnaur was Rs 3.65 crore. The main (Rs 92 crore) project and sub-projects (already under implementation) will have a five-year duration, the health minister informed.

Nadda, who returned here after attending the three-day regional conference of health ministers in Srinagar, said he had raised the issue with Union Minister of State for Health Dalit Ezhilmalai for covering of some more areas of Himachal under the Modified Leprosy Elimination Campaign. This demand, as well as another one relating to coverage of more districts under TB control programme were accepted, he said.

The minister expressed satisfaction that Ezhilmalai made a special reference to Himachal on its success in programmes on population control, sex ratio, infant mortality and non-existence of professional blood donors. He sought the Centre's help in persuading foreign funding agencies to provide help in strengthening trauma units and creation of other emergency facilities in hospitals for accident cases.

Nadda asked the Centre to permit the state government to start a B.Pharmacy course in ayurveda and to clear the World Bank funded project on capacity building in ayurveda, which has been pending for the past around two years. Regarding the Essential Drug Policy, the minister said five states including Delhi had already implemented the policy and Who had also made recommendations to several countries for the same. He said nearly 80 per cent of the drugs would, hereafter be purchased straightway by a committee of experts, director, health and CMs, leaving the rest 20 per cent for emergencies.

He did not rule out routing of the purchase process through the committee at some later stage instead of the HP Civil Supplies Corporation as under the present system. There would be two stages of tendering by private firms supplying drugs, he said.

The minister was hopeful that the Tanda Medical College issue would be resolved soon and added that efforts were still being made for an out of court settlement. He made it clear that the government would not allow private promoters of the dental college in Sundernagar to shift the college to Paonta Sahib.