Health Minister renews his crusade against illegal USG clinics

Srinagar, October 12 (Scoop News) –   Minister for Health & Family Welfare,  Sham Lal Sharma has once again renewed his crusade against the illegal Ultrasound Clinics operating in the State and called for strict implementation of PNDT Act to keep a check on the sex determination. He issued specific instructions to the competent authorities to take immediate measures to register all such institutions who full-fill the requisite requirements.

The Minister was reviewing the functioning of health institutions located in the Kashmir division at a high-level meeting of officers held here today.

Minister of State for Health & Medical Education,  Javid Ahmed Dar, Commissioner/Secretary, Health & Medical Education,  G.A.Peer, Director Family Welfare, Dr. Rakesh Khajuria, Mission Director, NRHM, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Controller, Drugs & Food Control Organization,  Satish Gupta, Project Director, J&K AIDS Control Society, Dr. Wasim Qureshi, Director Health, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem-ur-Rehman, Chief Medical Officers, Medical Superintendents and Block Medical Officers of Kashmir division were present in the meeting.

Expressing concern over the low expenditure registered under various flagship schemes including, NRHM, JSSY and RKS in most of the districts, the Minister directed the Chief Medical Officers to ensure timely realization of targets. He directed them to make accountable all the institutional heads to make judicious use of funds under various components so that the benefits of flagship programmes percolate down to the needy.

 The minister also directed the Director Health and CMOs to undertake extensive touring of health institutions located in the field to ensure work culture and removing bottlenecks, if any being faced at the ground level. He also directed to strictly enforce the standing instructions regarding attachment of doctors, adding that no violation in this regard will be tolerated, he added.

Stressing the need for strengthening the monitoring mechanism, the Minister directed the officers to ensure close coordination with Deputy Commissioners and MLAs concerned to improve the patient care on ground. He asked them to convene meetings of RKS after small intervals to improve things in the ground level institutions. He also stressed on organizing regular mass awareness camps at the block level to educate masses about various schemes, facilities available in the health institutions and preventive measures to deal with dreaded diseases.

 Sham also stressed on organizing regular refresher courses for different categories of employees to sharpen their skills. In order to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning, he directed to display citizens’ charters in all the institutions for the facilities of the masses. He also directed for strengthening the blood banks in the district hospitals.

 Javid Dar asked the Doctors to put in their best efforts to improve the patient care, especially in the rural and far-flung areas. He said medical is the noble profession and doctors should work with missionary zeal and come up to the expectations of the people. He also stressed on curbing the referral practice in minor cases.

Earlier, the Commissioner/Secretary and Mission Director gave detailed preview of the activities of the department and measures initiated to improve things.