Mr Alok Kumar, Advisor, NITI Aayog, accompanied by the team of Piramal Foundation visited Bihar on 16th and 17th April 2019 to conduct a ground-level assessment of the interventions under the Aspirational Districts Transformation Programme focusing on the status of Primary Healthcare and Nutrition. 

During the visit, Mr Kumar met Mr Deepak Kumar, Chief Secretary, Bihar, Mr Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health, Mr Manoj Kumar, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Mr Alok Kumar, Director, ICDS and Mr Manish Kumar Verma, Principal Secretary Planning and State Prabhari Officer, ADT Programme. He also visited the Aspirational District Sheikhpura, where he assessed various health facilities and interacted with the district and block level officials. 

Mr Kumar appreciated the efforts of the district administration and Piramal Foundation. He noted that the current strategy to transform aspirational districts has prioritised interventions related to Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND) strengthening, capacity building in terms of Supportive Supervision, identifying home delivery pockets and ensuring addressing of barriers to institutional delivery, strengthening district hospitals (DH), First Referral Units (FRUs), and Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), among others. 

Mr Kumar congratulated the district team on ensuring a positive incremental change on critical indicators in the Household Survey – especially in those relating to Diarrhoea (ORS & Zinc), Institutional Delivery, Antenatal Care (ANC) Registrations and Early Initiation of Breastfeeding.