lucknow in a bid to improve its image which was marred by the multicrore nrhm scam the uttar pradesh health department is set to launch a health guarantee scheme for children in the age group of 216 years the planning to launch the scheme is at final stages and we will be launching it soon sp government is committed for the cause of poor and i am ensuring that all the money allocated to health department reaches its beneficiaries unlike in the bsp regime states family and health minister ahmad hasan told a news agency besides children enrolled in government schools madarsas orphanage juvenile home nonschool going children will also be covered under the schem like those living near brick kilns and children of labourers working at various construction sites a senior health official said the scheme which would be run under nrhm would be launched in several phases in which school going and non school going children would be screened and a health card issued to them in later stages a medical team will carry out health checkup of the children and if needed the children would be referred to hospitals for treatment the official said there are about 150 schools in each block and overall about 15 lakh schools in the state have enrolment of 200250 children each taking the census report2011 into consideration there are about 82 crore children in age group of 216 years in the state including about 258 crore children in urban and 562 crore in rural areas the official said the scheme will focus on children residing in rural areas initially he said adding that an expenditure of about rs 140 crore was likely on implementation of the scheme the money will not be a problem for implementation of the scheme the government will ensure that the work does not effect for want of it the minister said under the ambitious scheme a tollfree number will also be started for parents to lodge complaints about nondelivery of services besides the government will also provide pick and drop facilities to children going to hospitals for treatment or pathological and other tests with the newlylaunched ambulances the health department has last week launched samajwadi health service and started toll free number 108 for free ambulance service for patients