Suggesting the use of modern technology and mass communication medium such as mobile phones, e-mail, television, newspapers and radio to create awareness among the people about spreading epidemics and also dengue and chikungunya due to changing weather, Health Minister U.T. Khader has directed the officials to take precautions to prevent such diseases and extend medical care in time where such instances were found.
Addressing a review meeting here on Friday, Mr. Khader said that people reportedly suffered from such diseases during the rainy season every year and many of them also died due to inadequate and improper medical treatment. But, similar incidents should not be allowed to happen this year. Hence, District Health Officers and medical officers of all districts in the region should take all precautions and stock required medicine to face the situation.
District Health Officers and other officials from Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Ballari districts participated in the meeting and the Minister reviewed the works taken up in their respective districts.
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Directing medical officers to pay door-to-door visits to get information about health-related problems faced by the people and inform their higher officers to solve them immediately, the Minister said that it was the duty of the medical officer concerned to seek co-ordination from gram panchayat officers and clean drinking water tanks and the surrounding areas to prevent communicable diseases.
The Minister said that the State government was introducing many health programmes and the officers should implement them effectively. He said that “no officer who has failed to take such programmes to the deprived community, the working class and the poor should be allowed to continue in service” and that the government would take serious action against such officers.
He took the officials of the Leprosy Division of the department to task after two patients complained that they were not providing medical treatment regularly and were misbehaving with them when they voluntarily approached them for treatment.
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The Minister also directed the officials to take steps to release salary dues to ASHA workers when they told him that their salary is pending from January 2016.