During the XI Plan it is proposed to raise the public health expenditure level from 1% of GDP at the end of the X Plan to 2% of the GDP at the end of the XI Plan. In the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) the main aim is to expand the infrastructure in the rural areas and to fill in the human resource gap during the XI Plan period. Over 5 Lakh Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) will be provided, one for every 1000 population. Nearly 1.75 lakh SCs will be made functional by providing the services of two Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) by 2010. 30,000 PHCs will be staffed with 3 Staff Nurses each to provide 24x7 service by 2010. 6500 CHCs will have 7 Specialist and 9 Staff Nurses by 2012. 1800 Sub Divisional and 600 District Hospitals will also be strengthened. Untied grants and annual maintenance grants will be given to every SC, PHC and CHC. The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) will meet the health needs of the urban poor, particularly the slum dwellers by making available to them essential primary health care services.
An essential component of strengthening primary health facilities will be a system of guaranteeing essential drugs. Since unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation increases exposure to diseases in the rural areas and in the urban slums, one of the policy initiatives is to bring about convergence of health care, hygiene, sanitation and drinking water at the village level and in urban slums.
