>14.32 hrs.
Title: Discussion on the Countess of Dufferin’s Fund (Repeal) Bill, 2002. (Bill passed)
MR. CHAIRMAN: The House shall now take up Item No. 13 — Countess of Dufferin’s Fund (Repeal) Bill, 2002.
The time allotted for this Bill is half an hour.
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI A. RAJA): Sir, in 1885, more than 100 years ago, the then National Association for Supplying Medical Aid to Women, raised a Fund known as Countess of Dufferin’s Fund through public subscription. The objective of the Fund was to train women as doctor, nurses and midwives; establish hospitals for women and children and open female wards under female superintendents in existing hospitals and dispensaries.
After Independence, the corpus of this Fund was taken over by the Central Government by enacting the Countess of Dufferin’s Fund Act, 1957. The National Association for Supplying Medical Aid to Women was dissolved with the enactment of this Act. Under the Fund, a number of scholarships and medals were awarded to women, medical and nursing students belonging to economically weaker sections. In 1988, the corpus of the Fund amounting to Rs. 16.60 lakhs was deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India. The nomenclature of the scholarships was also changed to the Government of India scholarships for women medical and nursing students and 63 such scholarships were being given. The expenditure on the award of the scholarships was being met by the Budget of the Government of India.
Since the Fund had been taken over by the Government of India, the Countess of Dufferin Act, 1957 has become obsolete in the present context. The Jain Commission on Review of Administrative Laws, set up by the Government has, therefore, recommended repeal of the Act. In this context, the proposal is mooted to repeal the Countess of Dufferin Act, 1957.
Therefore, Sir, I beg to move:
“That the Bill to repeal the Countess of Dufferin’s Fund Act, 1957, as passed by Rajya Sabha, be taken into consideration. ”
MR. CHAIRMAN: Motion moved:
“That the Bill to repeal the Countess of Dufferin’s Fund Act, 1957, as passed by Rajya Sabha, be taken into consideration. ”
SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI (RAIGANJ): Mr. Chairman, Sir, we are in agreement to support this Bill as it is a Repeal Bill. But when we go through the Objects and Reasons of the Bill, as has been stated by the hon. Minister, there is an area where the Health Ministry, which is accountable to the Lok Sabha, has to explain a few things.
The very date and the year of the foundation of this Fund relates to the foundation of our own party – Indian National Congress,i.e.,1885.
In those days such a vision was to be treated as Nightingale Vision. There is a hospital in my State in Kolkata called Dufferin’s Hospital. They were training or motivating women, providing health services, educating women, midwives and nurses in medical education, etc. Of course, free India provided enough opportunities to people of India as well as men and women in the medical stream.
I rise to speak on behalf of my Party about accountability. In the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the hon. Minister has just now stated that since the Fund is now diverted to the Consolidated Fund of India, the entire scholarship arrangements are being looked after by the Health Ministry, and therefore obviously, the continuance of this Bill does not arise. So, they are repealing it and we all share it.
Now, in India, there is this question of children. There are hundreds of Government hospitals where there are no incubators. Just last month, the entire nation witnessed what happened in the City of Kolkata. Within a fortnight, in several hospitals in Kolkata, dozens of children died. It was later on observed that not only in West Bengal, but also in many parts of India, child care gets the least priority in any health administration. I do not like to score any political point here.
I do ask the hon. Health Minister what special emphasis that the Government is going to give in the Tenth Plan from the Health Ministry, taking the State Governments into consideration for treatment of children.
Take the case of Delhi, which is the capital of India. Excepting the AIIMS and the Safdarjung Hospitals, in other hospitals, the paediatrics units are very small and ill-equipped that children cannot expect even a normal treatment that their parents desire. How many children die because of this? Did the hon. Minister prepare a note quoting figures as to how many hospitals in India – the district hospitals and State hospitals – are not having incubators? If such a figure is given to the House, the House will be shocked. We are living in modern India, in the age of IT revolution; yet we cannot arrange incubators in the paediatric units in the State hospitals.
I now come to scholarship plan. I would like to know from the hon. Minister what is the basic criteria to give scholarships to the economically weaker sections. In the Statement of Objects and Reasons, he said that the Fund was changed to the Government of India Scholarship for women, medical and nursing students belonging to economically weaker sections.
Is he ready to give us the break-up – I think, he is not ready with it – showing that in the Ninth Plan Period what is the total number of scholarships that they have given to the economically weaker sections, for medical education and nurses training? If it is not available for the entire Ninth Plan, at least let him give the figure for the last year of the Ninth Plan. Can he give us the break-up? The House wants to know that. If he is ready with the figure, he could give it now or he could lay it on the Table of the House later. We would like to know that.
Now, let me come to nurses’ training. Indian nurses have earned reputation not only to look after our patients in India, but also to look after patients in the entire Middle East or in the entire Gulf countries. If there is any demand by their Health Administration, it is only for the Indian trained nurses. Mostly the qualified nurses from the South are catering to more than 60 per cent of the requirement of the Nursing Administration in the entire Gulf countries. In this regard, if the economically weaker sections are protected by the Government by increasing the scholarship, it will be a great help to the nation.
My last question to the hon. Minister is this. May I know whether in the Tenth Plan document, he is giving any special priority or emphasis to provide more amount to women’s medical education scheme and nurses’ training scheme, which will be confined to the economically weaker sections of India?
If that is so, kindly say it. The House would like to know. If you think that since this is only a Repeal Bill and the Opposition will just sit and give consent to it, you are wrong. You are accountable to the House and you have got to comply with the accountability by providing us with an answer in this House.
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(वैशाली):सभापति महोदय, चार-पांच पार्टियों के बदले हम बोल रहे हैं। जो लोग नहीं हैं, उन सब के बदले हम बोल रहे हैं। जिन पार्टियों के लोग मौजूद हैं और जो नहीं हैं, उन चार-पांच पार्टियों के, आपकी पार्टी के भी हम ही हैं। The National Association for Supplying Medical Aid by Women to Women of India. १९८५ में इस संस्था का गठन हुआ। उसका उद्देश्य था कि जो महिलाएं हैं, उनको मेडीकल की पढ़ाई, नर्सिंग की पढ़ाई और जो दाई, मिडवाइफ गांवों में महिलाएं रहती हैं, क्योंकि अभी भी देहात में महिलाएं प्रिगनेंसी में अस्पताल नहीं जा पातीं, गांव में ही मिडवाइफ दाई होती है, उन सभी के प्रशिक्षण के लिए इस संस्था का गठन हुआ था। उसमें राशि एकत्रित थी। १९५७ में Countess of Dufferin’s Fund अधनियम बना, जिससे उसमें रुपया देकर पहले की संस्था को खत्म किया गया।The National Association for Supplying Medical Aid by Women to Women of Indiaको विघटित कर दिया गया और १९८८ में १६.६० लाख रुपये की जो राशि एकत्रित थी, उसे सरकार की संचित नधि में शामिल कर दिया गया। अब सरकार ने दावा किया है कि चूंकि शामिल कर लिया गया और नधि का नाम परिवर्तित कर ‘आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्गों के महिला चकित्सा और नर्सिंग विद्यार्थियों के लिए भारत सरकार की छात्रवृत्त’कर दिया गया। यह तो ठीक बात है कि महिला चकित्सा और नर्सिंग के लिए इन्होंने इन्तजाम कर दिया। लेकिन बालकों के उपचार के लिए चकित्सकीय राहत और विद्यमान अस्पतालों और औषधालयों में महिला अधीक्षण के अधीन महिला वार्ड खोलना, उस समय यह भी उद्देश्य था। अभी दासमुंशी जी ने सवाल उठाया, अभी उत्तर प्रदेश में १०० से ज्यादा छोटे-छोटे लड़कों का अजूबा बीमारी से देहान्त हो गया तो त्राहि-त्राहि मच गई। गांवों में पता नहीं चल रहा है कि कौन सी बीमारी है। बच्चों की चकित्सा के लिए व्यवस्था करनी थी, फिर महिलाओं के लिए वार्ड खोलना था, महिला के अधीक्षण में खोलना था। इसके लिए सरकार ने कौन सी कार्रवाई की है, यह स्पष्ट करें। पुराने कानून को कमीशन की रिपोर्ट पर ये खारिज कर रहे हैं, लेकिन उस कानून के चलते जो सब काम हो रहे थे, उन सब कार्यों के लिए ये अलग-अलग स्पष्ट करें, सदन को बतायें कि महिलाओं के स्कालरशिप के लिए जो ये कहते हैं कि हमने छात्रवृत्ति का उपाय किया है, उसका क्या इन्तजाम किया है, कितना इन्तजाम किया है? बच्चों की बीमारी के लिए, महिलाओं की बीमारी के लिए, महिलाओं के लिए अलग से वार्ड के लिए, इनमें से कौन सा काम किया है, यह सब सरकार स्पष्ट करे।
इस कानून को तो खत्म होना ही है, लेकिन इसका जो उद्देश्य था, उसकी आपूर्ति करने में सरकार कहां तक सक्षम है, इस सदन को स्पष्ट करे और साफ बताये और तब कानून को खत्म करे।
(MAVELIKARA): Mr. Chairman, Sir, the whole House will welcome the Countess of Dufferin;s Repeal Bill.
The earlier Bill has got two definitions. One of the definitions is that of Association, which means, the National Association for Supplying Medical Aid by Women to Women of India by societies registered under the Societies Registration Act. The principal Act has got a very limited purpose. This fund has been created to motivate and encourage women to look after the women and children in our country.
This Bill was enacted in the year 1885. At that time, in our society the women were not coming forward for this kind of service. They were very reluctant. This Fund was created to encourage and motivate them. The scholarships were given to the women associations for taking part in this kind of activity.
As has rightly been pointed out by our Chief Whip, Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, service is the motto of all the people who are involved in the nursing profession. They are following the path of Florence Nightingale. Definitely, this is a service-oriented job. They are rendering service to the deserving and needy people of our country. We are proud that the largest number of nurses belonging to Kerala are working inside as well as outside the country. Out of the total number of nurses working in the Gulf countries and the European countries, the maximum number of nurses are from Kerala. We have enough institutions. We are training women. Actually speaking, there is a rush for the B.Sc. Nursing and General Nursing courses in our State. The students are going outside the State to places like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh to get an opportunity for study.
My request to the hon. Minister is that enough institutions should be opened. The Nursing Council is coming in the way of opening new schools and educational institutions for General Nursing and B.Sc. Nursing. Moreover, giving recognition to such institutions is also a big issue. Shri Suresh is here. He is a member of the Nursing Council from Parliament. It hardly meets. The Nursing Council is not putting serious efforts for giving proper recognition to the schools and the institutions which are established in our country.
The State Government of Kerala has brought to the notice of the Minister of Health and Family Welfare a very important issue. It is regarding an examination centre in Colombo. Those persons, who want to work in USA, they have to undergo a test and examination in Colombo. But because of the law and order problem in Colombo, it is very difficult for Indian students to appear in this examination. So, a centre should be opened in India so that Indian students can appear in this test here itself and get an opportunity to go abroad for employment.
I do not want to go into much of details because it is a very limited Bill. More efforts are required on the part of the Department of Family Welfare for taking care of children and women. In the remotest parts of our country, the paediatric wards are not available. No medical facilities are given to the children by the State Governments and other institutions. So, I think, concerted efforts should be there in this regard.
(RASIPURAM): Hon. Chairman, Sir, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to place my views on record.