INDIAN GOVT WOULD PAY PREMIUMS FOR URBAN HEALTH MISSIONS

India is planning a National Urban Health Mission that will cover all cities and towns in the country with a population of more than 100,000, with the government paying the insurance premiums of the slum dwellers, promised federal health minister Anbumani Ramadoss. He said that the project, which would cost INR8,000 crore (INR80bn, $2bn), would initially be launched in about 450 cities and towns, focusing on 55m slum dwellers. The project, which would work in tandem with non-governmental organisations and with the private sector, would follow the template of the earlier rural health mission, the minister said.