Principal Secretary, Health , Praveer Krishna has said that the mBillionth Award received by the Health Department is a milestone and not destination. Krishna has congratulated all departmental officers and other employees for the award. For ensuring good health of citizens and strengthening of information system, 77,000 common user groups (CUG) SIMs have been provided to the health staff in the State. The Principal Secretary has conveyed this congratulation through Facebook to members of the Team Health of Madhya Pradesh.
A group ‘Team Health’ has been formed on powerful social media Facebook which has 12,000 members. It has become page of the masses within a short span of one and half months. Patients from village to district levels also disclose serious problems on the page and senior officers immediately suggest treatment and medicines. They also extend cooperation in referring patients to medical colleges or other major hospitals if facilities for operations etc. are not available at district or division level. The Principal Secretary Health monitors every post of the page being its admin.
The Principal Secretary said that this award is correct evaluation of Health Department’s hard working officers-employees. It is noteworthy that Madhya Pradesh Health Department has won prestigious mBillionth Award with meaningful use of social media.
Empowerment Foundation selected Sampark Setu Yojana of the Health Department for mBillionth Award. The award was received by Director National Health Mission Faiz Ahmad Kidwai and Programme Manager Amit Jain at a function held at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
Digital Empowerment Foundation had invited entries from 8 South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives for better and innovative use of mobile phone in social change and development sectors. On this basis, Madhya Pradesh Health Department’s Sampark Setu Yojana was adjudged the best. The scheme was also conferred Chairman’s Special Award. The foundation had received 300 entries from 8 countries from which Madhya Pradesh was selected in m-Health category.
The Health Department had launched Sampark Setu Yojana in December 2012 to extend health services to remote areas of the state. Under the scheme, officers-employees of state, division, district, development block and Gram Arogya Kendras contact each other. Field staff of the Health Department has been provided with 77 thousand common user groups (CUG) SIMes through which all health staff in the state including ASHA workers have been inter-connected. The field staff gives necessary information to the concerning officers through SMS. As a result, needy areas and persons get health assistance immediately.