NEW DELHI: Amid outcry over the Modi government's alleged "crackdown" on NGOs, health minister J P Nadda on Friday sought the involvement of such organizations in improving the public health system.
"NGOs are not there to give sermons, they are there doing good work. They are there to participate and we will see that they do participate," he said after releasing 'swachchta' guidelines for public health facilities.
Nadda invited various stakeholders to participate in this endeavor and share the responsibility for cleanliness of health facilities. He also urged health secretaries to involve public representatives, MLAs and MPs of their areas in this initiative. This would provide an opportunity and incentive to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination in improving health systems at the state level, he said.
The health ministry also launched a scheme to award public health facilities to encourage them to work towards standards of excellence.