The lives of many infants can be saved by administering them pentavalent vaccine, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat while addressing a programe on Thursday. The programme was organised to include the vaccine in the State vaccination programe. He said that 20 percent of total deaths in the world due to influenza and pneumonia occur in this country and for this introducing the pentavalent vaccination programe is necessary.

Rawat said that the State would start this vaccination from the January-2015 and the intervening time period should be used for spreading awareness for the programme.  Expressing concern on low penetration of health services in the rural areas of the state, the CM said that efforts should be made specifically in this direction.

He informed that the State Government has decided to increase the posts of rural health workers ‘Ashas’ and said that the health department should find ways to use the services of traditional midwives Government would provide Rs30000 for treatment and for critical diseases Rs1.5 lakh would be provided.

He said that the World Bank would provide a fund of Rs121 Million Dollars to the State Government to improve the medical and health facilities in Uttarakhand and to remove paucity of doctors the public service commission of state would soon release a recruitment advertisement for 769 posts of medical officers.

He said that the health services of the State would change with these two things. He said that in the school health programe many students with chronic diseases were treated. The programe was also attended by Rajpur road MlA and parliamentary secretary Rajkumar, the Principal Secretary health Om Prakas and Director General of Medical, health and family welfare department Dr G S Joshi.