The State health, family welfare, AYUSH and Unani education minister has directed all chief medical officers of the State to ensure implementation of the chief minister’s direction regarding all types of check ups of patients admitted through the out patient department of all Government hospitals be conducted free of cost till December 31.
The State health minister Surendra Singh Negi chaired a review meeting of the health department here on Wednesday. In the meeting, he had a telephonic conversation with all of the state’s chief medical officers and informed them that in view of the recent shortage of currency, chief minister Harish Rawat has directed that all types of medical tests should be conducted free of cost on all patients from the OPD of all government hospitals till December 31. The chief minister had made this announcement on November 11 but work is not being undertaken according to his announcement in many hospitals. He directed the officers of medical health that the announcement of the chief minister should be implemented cent per cent. Any such person who is from the state of Uttarakhand, on showing a valid identification document as proof to the doctor of the hospital or clinic concerned, should be provided all the necessary medical tests free of cost till December 31.
In his telephonic communication with the chief medical officers of the state the minister directed them that in order to make this programme succesfull in the interests of the public they should soon address Press conferences so that the eligible persons in need of such medical check ups can derive the intended benefit from the chief minister’s declaration.
Seeking information about the special camps being organised in the state, Negi said that the state has now received six more vehicles with Rs 2.5 crore also being received under the same head. The minister directed the medical health officers that such vehicles with mobile facilities should be operated on a 15-day rotational basis for camps where ultrasound examinations and x-ray tests are to be undertaken. Steps should be taken to ensure vehicles that are presently stationary due to battery-related and other problems are made operational soon so that medical treatment facility can be provided to patients visiting such camps. The date and other necessary details should be widely publicised in areas where the health department is conducting medical health camps to enable the intended beneficiaries to once again visit the camp in order to clear any type of misconception and to enable them visit such camps without any additional guidance.
In the review of the Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Beema Yojana, the minister was informed that 4.25 lakh cards are to be distributed across the state to the intended beneficiaries through ASHA workers with 1.54 lakh cards having been distributed by them so far. The officials further informed the minister that the remaining cards of the scheme will be distributed through the ASHA workers within one week. Negi stressed that cards of this important scheme should be received by the intended beneficiaries without delay and the task should be monitored on a daily basis by officials at higher level. The minister also said that the needful be done immediately in cases of cards containing errors.
The additional secretary of medicine, Neeraj Khairwal, joint secretary Atar Singh, director general of health Dr Kusum Narriyal and medical officers among others were also present in the review meeting.