The Centre has asked all the States to ensure free and cashless services to pregnant women delivering in government health institutions. Briefing media persons in New Delhi on Wednesday, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, many new initiatives have been taken during the two years by the UPA government. He said, under the National Rural Health Mission, the Centre is providing hundred per cent finance to the States for drugs and various services.

The Minister said for the first time registration and regulation of clinical establishment has been started. An act in this regard make it mandatory to register all hospitals either having single doctor or having different experts in Super Speciality Hospitals.

Mr. Azad said, number of cases of polio have come down drastically, against 42 cases last year only single case was detected during the first five months of this year. He said as the ministry has now streamlining the vaccination programme wholly funded by the Central govenment. The new format has been given in which parents address and phone number is required to be filled.

The government has also proposed to streamline the cost of Hospital care. Now a categorization of hospitals depending upon the facilities provided by them, its size the equipments faculty and doctors will be made. According to this, the fee structure for various treatments will be fixed.