Campaign to reduce infant deaths after delivery in Punjab

Phagwara, Nov 14 (UNI) The Punjab Health Department has launched a campaign to bring down infant death ratio after delivery in the state, Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla said today.

Talking to newspersons here, she said 40 infants out of 1,000 newly born died in Punjab after delivery. However, the ratio was below the ratio of 58 per thousand at the national level.

She said ratio of deaths of newly born after delivery would be reduced to 30 per one thousand in a year, adding, that 15,000 women in villages would be provided proper training for this purpose.

Prof Chawla said she along with Punjab Medical Education Minister Tikshan Sood have urged the Union Health Minister to include Jalandhar Medical College and Hospital, which was under construction, in the list of six major medical institutions for grant of facilities.

Replying to a question , she said after the success of campaign against adulerated sweets and khoya, the health department will now launch a state level campaign against sale of ''synthetic milk''.

She said she was committed to provide better health services with limited resources in civil hospitals.

Prof Chawla announced that one ayurvedic and one homeopathic dispensary would be set up in each civil hospital of the state to facilitate the people.

When asked about the shortage of doctors and mismatching of doctors in civil hospitals, the Minister said the State Government was fully aware of this problem and trying to resolve it.

She disclosed that 147 specialists would be recruited soon to provide special services to patients.

Regarding quackery and sale of drugs, she said a campaign would be launched soon against this practice. Chemists would be checked for their sale of medicines without valid prescription of qualified doctor, she added.

Asked about the shortage of medicines in civil hospitals, Ms Chawla said a state level committee had been set up to purchase the medicines.

Referring to National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), she said it had provided a grant of Rs 261 crore and the State Government would have to contribute Rs 28 crore for various health projects in the rural areas of the state. The amount would be doubled next year, she added.

UNI