Bhopal:Tuesday, February 17, 2009: The Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that only healthy Madhya Pradesh could help her become a progressive state. Shri Chouhan was addressing a two-day review meeting-cum-workshop of Chief Medical and Health Officers and Civil Surgeons-cum-Hospital Superintendents at Narmada Bhavan, here today.
The Chief Minister went on to say that common man should be made the focus of all the health programmes and policies including the new drug policy as well. Shri Chouhan observed that immunization is such an area where diseases could be prevented to a great extent by working on a well thought out immunization programme. At the same time, Shri Chouhan directed the Health Officers to adhere to the execution of a regular immunization programme in their respective areas without making any compromise in this regard.
Referring to the status of mother – infant mortality rate in the state, the Chief Minister desired that there was a need to cope up with the situation on this front. He also lauded the noteworthy achievement registered under the Janani Suraksha Yojana which aims at promotion of institutional delivery in the state. Shri Chouhan said that now it should be the endeavour of health officers to achieve the target of cent – percent institutional delivery in the state.
The Chief Minister also laid special emphasis on ensuring availability of medicines in adequate quantity besides maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in the hospitals and on their premises. Shri Chouhan said that the doctors and para medical staff should be sensitive and cooperative with the patients and their attendants.
The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan further explained that the increasing population was one of the main impediments in transforming the state into a progressive state. To eliminate this hindrance, there was a need to implement the family welfare programmes expeditiously and vigorously making them broad based, the Chief Minister asserted. Shri Chouhan said that awareness should be generated among the people belonging to lower middle and low income group towards popular population control programmes.
Shri Chouhan drew the attention of the health officers to find out the ways to remove the infrastructural shortcomings of public health and family welfare institutions besides ensuring proper maintenance of medical equipments and machineries. He also suggested to initiate steps for rationalization of health staff.
The Health Minister, Shri Anoop Mishra said that improvement in health services is one of the seven top priorities of the state government. He said that all possible efforts would be made to make Madhya Pradesh a pioneer state in respect of health and medicare facilities.
Those who attended the meeting-cum-workshop included the Principal Secretary, Health, Shri Devraj Birdi, Health Commissioner, Shri Manohar Agnani, Secretaries to Chief Minister, Shri Anurag Jain and Shri S.K. Mishra, Health Director, Shri Ashok Sharma and Chief Medical and Health Officers and Civil Surgeons-cum-Hospital Superintendents drawn from all over the state.