Need to strengthen public health institutions : Dr. PC Negi
Prevention is better than cure and to maintain good health, there is a need to improve one’s lifestyle and eating habits. Regular and disciplined routine is the most effective way to avoid disease. While speaking on the occasion of World Health Day, Prof. P.C. Negi, Head of the Department of Cardiology, IGMC Shimla, said that the cause of most diseases is our wrong routine and eating habits. Participating as the chief guest on the occasion of World Health Day organized under the joint aegis of Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti, State Resource Center and Public Health Campaign, Dr. Negi said that it is very important to strengthen public health services. He made efforts to increase investment in health services and said that if the health structure is strong then the general public will benefit from it. Dr. Negi said that hospitals should have their own testing laboratories to maintain credibility. He said that there should not be an outsourcing system in health and education. He also advocated making ASHA workers a part of the system.
On this occasion, the ‘Public Health Centre’ was also inaugurated in the state office of the committee. Where general checkup and consultation will be done on the first Sunday of every month. On starting the Public Health Centre, 85-year-old retired Joint Director of Health Department B.D. Sharma, who was presiding over the Health Day, praised this voluntary initiative of the committee. He said that with age, the elderly need medical consultation but it is not possible for them to reach the hospital. The Public Health Centre is a commendable initiative in this direction.
On this occasion, Dr. Amit Sachdeva, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, IGMC Shimla said that the World Health Organization has given the message of making health a priority by giving the slogan “Our health is our right”. The number of non-communicable diseases is continuously increasing. He stressed on making people aware.
On this occasion, the committee honoured 91-year-old Prof. R.K. Gupta, 85-year-old Dr. B.D. Sharma and the keynote speaker Dr. P.C. Negi by making them wear Himachali caps.
Satyawan Pundir, Secretary of the committee and State Convenor of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, said that for the last several years the committee was thinking of running a Jan Swasthya Kendra voluntarily with the help of experts from the health sector, which could be given a concrete shape today. In future, this centre will organize discussions, dialogues, counseling, orientation on various aspects of health such as tension, anxiety, stress, exam pressure, domestic violence etc. with the help of experts. The committee will run a series of health dialogues across the state in which the campaign against drug addiction will be the main issue. Apart from this, public support will be gathered for the demand of making health a right. For this, a manifesto prepared by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan will be released before the political parties on April 14 at Y.W.C.A. in view of the parliamentary elections.
About 80 participants including Dr. Ravi Sharma from Psychiatry Department of IGMC, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Deepa Rathore and ECG Operator Pratap from DDU Shimla, Co-Director of the University Dr. Randhir Ranta, former Professor of Psychology Department of St. Beads College Dr. Ravi Bhushan, Dr. Deepak Mittal from Cardiology Department, Dr. Digvijay Tanwar from Urology Department and experts like Nitin, Rahul etc. from HPMRA took part in the event. Out of these, about 60 people got their blood sugar, blood pressure, ECG, oxygen level tested. Jan Swasthya Kendra will conduct these tests free of cost in future also. This center will be operational on the first Sunday of every month. Along with this, active workers of the committee Dr. Reena Singh, Jiyanand Sharma, Suresh Pundir, Kapil Sharma, Naveen Sharma, Satendra Chauhan, Vinay Pundir, Seema Chauhan, retired Asst. Dir. Edu. Members like Chander Kanta Thakur, Hiranand Shandil, Sumitra Chandel, Vidya Chauhan etc. participated.
