Bihar figures in WHO award for 'fight against tobacco'

Patna, July 4 (UNI) With the selection of a doctor from Bihar for the prestigious WHO award, the otherwise "slump" image of the state has taken a beat signalling a silver lining in the quest for 'fight against tobacco'.

The WHO has selected four eminent personalities of the world, who had made a difference in the fight against tobacco from across the world this year.

WHO has conferred the World No tobacco day award to an Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, S.K.Medical College- Muzaffarpur Dr Dhirendra Narayan Sinha, who is also an eminent advocate of global tobacco control and researcher.

According to WHO release, Dr Sinha has collected information on various forms of tobaco used in the region- particularly on smokeless tobacco use and bidi consumption.

WHO has admired the findings of Dr Sinha, who on the basis of his research alerted experts about a particular dentifrice used in India, which contains tobacco.

The sincere efforts of Dr Sinha has forced manufacturers of dentifrice to remove tobacco from its products.

Meanwhile, Bihar Health Minister Chandramohan Rai commended the efforts of Dr Sinha saying that the contributions of the doctor had added a feather in the cap of the state health department.

''It is his sincerity and dedication for social cause that brought fame for him and the state as well,'' said Mr Rai and added that the government would felicitate such personalities in the medical field.

He said the department might give promotion and other facilities to such doctors, who have contributed for the cause of the society.

Mr Rai threw light on the deadly effects of tobacco use in any form and reiterated that the government was vigourously fighting against it with the help of non government organisations.

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