U.T. has become a pioneer in healthcare sector, says Lt. Governor

Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday said the Union Territory had become a pioneer in the healthcare sector.

Taking part in an event — ‘Health Connect in the management of rare diseases’ — she said the Union Territory had initiated several pioneering programmes in the field of preventive health.

She said that under the Corporate Social Responsibility programme, the Health Department procured portable X-ray machine for diagnosis of tuberculosis. The healthcare workers planned to make house-to-house visits for identifying persons with symptoms. The machine could be used to screen 200 persons a day.

Likewise, the government was working with a private institution on early screening for cancer, she added. “Stress should be on early detection and management of rare diseases. The medical field has advanced. Even some genetic disorders in infants could be detected during the early stages of pregnancy. Doctors should be given proper awareness on such aspects,” she added.

The Lieutenant-Governor also emphasised the need to tackle the problem of lack of intake of nutritious food by pregnant women and newborns. She requested the Health Department to draw up a plan to provide nutritious food to the poor. The event was organised by Order of the Genie Support Services Limited, along with the Health and Family Welfare Department and associations working in healthcare.