NITI Aayog launches SATH programme for Heath sector reforms

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : NITI Aayog has launched SATH, a programme providing ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital’ with the state governments. The objective of the programme is to initiate transformation in the education and health sectors. The programme addresses the need expressed by many states for technical support from NITI .

SATH aims to identify and build three future ‘role model’ states for health systems. NITI will work in close collaboration with their state machinery to design a robust roadmap of intervention, develop a programme governance structure, set up monitoring and tracking mechanisms, hand-hold state institutions through the execution stage and provide support on a range of institutional measures to achieve the end objectives. The programme will be implemented by NITI along with McKinsey & Company and IPE Global consortium, who were selected through a competitive bidding process, according to a PIB release.

To select the three model states, NITI defined a three-stage process – expression of interest, presentations by the states and assessment of commitment to health sector reforms. It invited all states and UTs to participate in the programme. Sixteen states expressed prima facie interest, of which 14 made their presentations. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh presented their project proposal to a committee headed by Member of NITI Aayog Bibek Debroy and comprising CEO Amitabh Kant as well as a representative from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the PIB release.

Of these fourteen states, five have been shortlisted. Subsequently, three will be selected on the basis of further evaluations and objective assessment of criteria affecting the potential for impact and likelihood of success. Metrics such as MMR, IMR, incidence of malaria and others have been considered for determining potential impact while density of doctors and nurses, compliance to IPHS norms are some of the metrics used to determine likelihood of success. The programme will be launched in the three selected states after the signing of MoUs.