The Punjab Government has issued strict instructions to all the Civil Surgeons to ensure the complete screening of students studying in Government and Government-aided schools as well as children registered at Anganwadi Centres under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).
Civil Surgeons have also been instructed to issue healthcare cards to all children who are eligible to get free of cost tertiary and healthcare services under the programme.
The State Health and Welfare Department Minister Brahm Mohindra said that the main objective of child health screening is to diagnose children up to 18 years for 4Ds —that is defects at birth, diseases, deficiencies and developmental delays including disabilities.
“Children diagnosed with illness would provide free of cost treatment including surgeries at tertiary level,” he added.
Giving details of screening programme, Mohindra said that dedicated RBSK’s teams visited 18,365 schools where 19,14,164 students were screened.
Similarly, these teams have also visited the Anganwadi Centres where 5,95,734 children were screened during first visit while 5,40,432 children were screened during the second visit. “Around 54,499 children of schools and AWCs have availed the free of cost healthcare services who were diagnosed under screening programme during February to December 2017,” added the Minister.
He said that children who were suffering from congenital heart disease (CHD) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) were being referred at Dayanand Medical College (DMC) and Christian Medical College (CMC) and Hospital in ludhiana, Max Super Specialties Hospital and Fortis Hospital, SAS Nagar for tertiary healthcare services.
“Around 416 children suffering from RHD or CHD have been successfully operated and treated at PGIMER, Chandigarh, and at private empanelled hospitals. As many as 16 children suffering from Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PIDD) are also getting free of cost treatment from PGIMER Chandigarh,” he said.
Mohindra said five District Early Intervention Centres (DEIC) have been established at the District Hospitals in Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, ludhiana, Roopnagar and Tarn Taran and soon DEIC would be established in the remaining districts to provide quick treatment and healthcare services to the children suffering from diseases in the state.
The Civil Surgeons, District RBSK Nodal Officers, District RBSK Coordinators and SMOs of Community Health Centres, Sub-Divisional Hospitals, and District Hospitals have also been instructed to treat the cases of affected children on priority basis to cater best healthcare services as earliest to recover them, added Mohindra.