Punjab to launch child health care week

Chandigarh, October 12, 2012: The Punjab government would chalk out a comprehensive plan to organize ‘Child Health Care Week’ throughout the state to checkup the eyes, ENT, dental, general anemia and stomach related problems amongst school going children.

A decision to this effect was taken by Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal while presiding over a high level meeting to review the follow-up action taken by the Health Department after organizing a successful Mega Health Care Camp at village Badal.

Expressing satisfaction over the recent Mega Health Care Camp at Badal, the Chief Minister approved to organize next three camps on the same patron at Mansa, Batala and Tran Taran in the months of November, December and January respectively.

Showing concern over the reported lazy eye related problems amongst the young school going children, Mr. Badal asked the health department to chalk out a plan for organizing Child Health Care Week in the state to provide an adequate health care facility for the school going children especially in the rural sector for sack of healthy and active generation.

It was informed in the meeting during this recent Meg Medical Care Camp at Badal, as many as 17636 patients were provided health care treatment out of them 367 were referred to different hospitals for further treatment. The Government Medical Colleges were directed to provide free treatment to these patients. It was also observed that 90% of the patients were benefitted during this Mega Camp. For the rest 10% patients those who needed expensive treatment for the diseases like Hepatitis-C, the Chief Minister asked the Health Department to chalk out some policy for subsided treatment through involving some NGOs or Companies working in the field of health care. He also approved to set up a society for organizing such Mega Health care camps regularly in the state.  Mr. Badal also announced that in future Government would make some budgetary provisions for organizing these mega health care camps.

            The Chief Minister also directed the Health Department to expedite the process for providing free generic drugs to the patients in government hospitals. He also directed that the list of these generic medicines must be displayed properly on boards in all the hospitals to facilitate the patients.

            Prominent amongst those attended the meeting included Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mrs. Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Mrs. Mohinder Kaur Josh, Principal Secretary Health Mrs Vinnie Mahajan, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr KJS Cheema besides the eminent doctors of specialized fields.