CHANDIGARH: Today a State level meeting under the Chairmanship of Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu was held in the office of Director Health and Family Welfare Punjab, Sector 34-A, Chandigarh.
While presiding over the meeting, the Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said that to provide quality health services to pregnant women and children, newly built 30 bedded MCH hospitals at SDH Dasuya (District Hoshiarpur), Samana, Rajpura ( Patiala), Khanna ( Ludhiana), Nakodar (Jalandhar) and Pathankot to be made fully functional by next month.
To ensure the quality health services across the State, Mr. Sidhu said that Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government is going to fill 7055 vacant posts of Medical, Para Medical and other posts. These posts included the posts currently vacant, getting vacant after promotions and getting vacant on 30 September, 2020 after relieving the employees on extension. He said that he will put up the file in next Cabinet Meeting to get nod to commence the procedure of recruitment.
The Minister pointed out that to provide better Health services to General Public, creation of various specialties which are not sanctioned in the specialist cadre such as Medical Officer (Microbiology), Medical Officer (SPM), Medical Officer (Forensic Medicine) would also be put in the cabinet meeting so as to strengthen the hospitals in rural areas of State.
Creation of 732 new posts in new 122 Urban Primary Health Centres, 528 posts in newly constructed 11 Urban CHC's in District Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amirtsar was also discussed in meeting.
Reviewing the preparedness regarding COVID-19, the Minister said that Punjab is fighting the menace of Corona Virus since March 2020. Till date, 2461 patients have been tested positive for COVID 19. Of these, 2069 patients have recovered resulting in recovery rate of more than 80 percent. He instructed the Director Health Services Dr. Avneet Kaur to scale up the extensive tracing & testing of all contacts of Corona Patients.
Dr. Avneet Kaur has apprised the meeting that in order to further increase the surveillance in State, instructions have been issued to all Civil Surgeons. She said that intensive House to House Surveillance in the entire State is already commenced on a mobile based Application for all people above the age of 30 years and people with co-morbidities or symptomatic even below 30 years of age.
Minister instructed the State Program Officer, IDSP, preparedness for testing and management of dengue, malaria and other vector borne diseases has to be ensured in the State. He also instructed that new staff to be recruited to overcome the shortage of man power in IDSP Program. Key programs such as Sarbat Sehat bima Yojna, Mother & Child Health Program, Mental Health Program, Mukh Mantri Cancer Rahat Kosh Yojna, TB Program & Care Companion Program were also discussed in meeting.
Amongst the others present in meeting included Director Health Services Dr. Avneet Kaur, Director Health Services (Family Welfare) Dr. Prabhdeep Kaur Johal and OSD to Health Minister Dr. Balwinder Singh, Nodal Officer Dr. Rajesh Bhaskar and all Senior officers of Directorate Health Services.