Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)
Mangaluru, Sep 24: Karnataka health minister U T Khader on Thursday September 24 announced new initiatives of the health department on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and vaccine preventable diseases (VPD).
Addressing a press meet, Khader said, "The government will launch two health schemes in the next week, one on non-communicable diseases and another on vaccine preventable diseases. Ailments like diabetes or hyper tension are on the rise in the state. Hence, the government has decided to conduct free screening and to provide free medicines in all the public health centres and hospitals. The scheme will be launched at TMA Pai hall on October 5, and all the people of Dashina Kannada can benefit from the scheme. The free medicines will be provided through Aarogyashri health scheme.
"People should focus on having a healthy lifestyle and food habits and the government also will take steps to educate the people through awareness programmes on these matters," he added.
"There are many diseases which arise due to weak immune system. Children are not vaccinated at a younger age and as they grow, they become victims of many diseases. We want healthy children and healthy youth. With regard to this, we will take assistance from 25,000 ASHA workers and launch Indradhanush Abhiyan. The Abhiyan will be held from October 7 to October 17 and will be continued for the next four months. The state will conduct campaigns through banners, posters, newspaper advertisements, TV panel discussion etc and provide vaccines to all the people who are in need of them. The programme provides vaccination against seven life-threatening diseases like diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B, in addition to that vaccination against haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) and Japanese encephalitis (JE) is provided in selected districts," he informed.
To a question on the Yettinahole project, Khader said,"The project was launched with the consent of 224 assembly members. If the project has to be stopped, there has to be debate again in the assembly and then a decision has to be taken. Till then work will not stop. After the social impact assessment, we will get an idea of the actual situation. There will be a meeting in Bengaluru next week regarding the project. Let us wait and see the result of the meeting."
District health officer Ramakrishna Rao was also present.