Udaipur: Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has called upon young medical graduates to take up rural assignments on their own volition.

Speaking today at the inauguration of Geetanjali University, Udaipur the Minister said that the nation needs active participation of young doctors in providing health-care services in the rural areas, particularly related to prevention and control of nutritional deficiencies, especially anaemia in adolescent girls, pregnant women & lactating mothers.

He emphasized that while ensuring efficiency in teaching and improvement in quality, private sector institutions should also take affirmative action to help the weaker and disadvantaged sections to acquire professional and higher education needed in today's world.

Speaking at another function on Sunday at occasion of Golden Jubilee Meet of the Ravindra Nath Tagore Medical College, Udaipur, Mr. Azad said that the field of health & medicine is a dynamic field requiring swift responses to emerging threats and adaptation to technological advances.

The Minister said that the Government of India has done its utmost to make health care services, accessible, affordable and equitable for the benefit of the people, particularly the poorest households in the remotest regions of the country.

He elaborated that the last decade has seen the allocation for health sector being substantially enhanced. It was increased from Rs.36,378 crores in the 10th Plan to Rs.1,36,147 crores in the 11th Plan, which is almost a triple jump.

An outlay of Rs.22,300 crores for the financial year 2010-11 was an increase of 14.2% over the previous year's allocation of Rs. 19,534 crores. The Plan Allocations were further stepped up in 2011-12 by 20 per cent to Rs.26,760 crore.