Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, will soon meet Ghulam Nabi Azad to settle differences over the planning & formulation of the health policy in the 12th Five Year Plan.

During the recently-held full meeting of the Planning Commission, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Mr. Azad to meet Mr. Ahluwalia to sort out the differences.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Ahluwalia said, "The health minister raised several concerns which we will sort out. I will be meeting Ghulam Nabi Azad within a week to settle out differences."

The health ministry is opposing plans that it says will privatize healthcare or put the public health services in direct competition with private health care providers. The ministry is also against the proposal to make payments to hospitals in line with number of patients they attend.

Planning Commission also proposed to hack the health ministry's role in delivering health care services as an only "peer reviewer to the health plans" that would be prepared completely by the states.

The health ministry is also of the view that National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) shouldn't be touched, and should be allowed to operate separately.

Mr. Ahluwalia admitted that that there were numerous concerns that required to be sorted out.