Sundargarh: The district administration here launched three important public welfare programmes for the people with a focus on the rural healthcare.
Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan inaugurated the programmes at a special event organised on the occasion of Independence Day at Vikash Bhawan in Sundargarh.
Among the programmes, e-Swasthya is a major step towards providing preventive health checkup facilities free of cost to the urban as well as rural population.
Similarly, block-level integrated physiotherapy and therapeutic unit for various modern therapies and safety kits for protection and well-being of workers were also launched.
Meanwhile, a special nutrition programme for young children complated one year. Under it, kids are distributed ragi laddu mix and spirulina-fortified chiki and sugar through the Anganwadi centres.
The initiatives are supported by the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). This special nutrition programme have turned out to be beneficial in preventing malnutrition among small children and usher in overall growth in them.
The e-Swasthya and physiotherapy services are expected to be immensely useful to the people of Sundargarh.
These new initiatives launched by the district administration will provide various health facilities free of cost to the people in rural areas through the community health centres and public health centres, informed Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan.
The e-Swasthya initiative is a comprehensive diagnostic test package where residents can now get various tests free under the programme.
The beneficiaries can avail over 76 types of test reports from a single sample, including record of vitals. Lab-in-the-bag, an advanced mobile lab facility introduced under this programme, is available at 12 CHCs across the district.
Moreover, sample collection points have been set up in various locations of the district to connect people with the services.
Digitisation of the ‘Matrujyoti’ data under e-Swasthya will now help the system to record and access the health history of pregnant women digitally. The database will be operated through Web portal and mobile applications, which was launched on the occasion.
With the implementation of Integrated Physiotherapy and Therapeutics unit, rural people from over 150 villages under 11 blocks will benefit from this free service.
The district administration provides a special kit to protect workers of mines, factories, construction and other sectors.
The kit containing shoes and socks, goggles, helmet, hand gloves, gum boots, special mask to protect from dust, safety harness, jacket, first- aid kits, rain coat and other essential equipments, was also launched on this occasion.
In the first phase, the district administration plans to provide more than 15,000 beneficiaries with these safety kits. The special kits were given to some workers on the occasion.
The special nutrition programme covering spirulina fortified sugar and chikki and ragi laddu for children in Sundargarh have completed 1 year. The initiative benefits over 1.42 lakh children with spirulina distribution.
Similarly, over 63,000 children have benefitted from ragi laddu distribution. The district administration has further involved local women selfhelp groups in this initiative to enable them earn a livelihood.
Among others, Bhairab Singh Patel, project director, DRDA and CEO DMF, Dr. Saroj Kumar Mishra, CDMO, Ramachandra Nayak, CDAO, Prabasini Chakra, DSWO, Mahesh R.V, chairman Spirulina Foundation and senior officials of the district administration and the DMF were present on the occasion.
A millet-based food exhibition was also organised on the occasion.
PNN
