Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today launched Free Annual Preventive Health Check up Program (FAPHC) for all the 30 plus citizens of the state to make people health conscious so as to initiate treatment for any disease detected by these diagnostic tests at the early stage.Addressing the gathering here at local Community Health Centre (CHC) after the launch of this scheme, the Chief Minister said that majority of the people especially Punjabis by nature were least health conscious and this scheme would be instrumental in changing their mindset to stay healthy through regular check up and medical tests. Under this scheme, the Chief Minister apprised that normally each & every citizen resident of state above the age of 30 years would be screened for diseases like Anemia, Hypertension, Diabetes, Kidney and Liver diseases etc. He said these tests would be conducted in all the CHCs across the state on every Saturday and would also be motivated to take healthy food and exercise regularly.
The Chief Minister revealed that an expert group led by Dr. K K Talwar Advisor Health and former Director PGIMER Chandigarh and Dr. Rajesh Kumar HoD School of Public Health PGIMER planned this initiative. As per public health experts, health check-up on a regular basis, especially after the age of 30, was the key to prevention of such diseases and play a major role in determining the quality of life. Therefore, after recently launching the initiative to provide free medicines & diagnostic facilities across the state, this annual health check-up program has been specially designed to cover all 30 plus population. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also handed over the diagnostic tests and investigation reports to few patients as token of the launch of this scheme.Listing major initiatives in the health sector, the Chief Minister said Punjab was amongst the leading state in the country for initiating free treatment for the patients inflicted with deadly diseases like Cancer, Hepatitis-C and Cervical Cancer. Mr. Badal also informed that recently the state government has opened free medical centres in all government health institutions to provide nearly 250 medicines to the patients as per the prescription of the doctors. He said education and health were the two core sectors in any nation, country or state from which their index of overall human development was adjudged.
The Chief Minister impressed upon the doctor to discharge their duties with utmost dedication, sincerity and commitment adding he said since the medical profession was noble one and therefore they should serve the ailing humanity with missionary zeal. In her welcome address, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Mrs. Vinni Mahajan said that under this innovative FAPHC program, basic investigations like Blood Pressure, Hemoglobin, Blood Sugar, Kidney & Liver function tests would be conducted free of cost in addition to consultation by doctors. The patients suffering from Kidney diseases & Liver diseases would be referred to nearest tertiary care facilities. She urged the people to take maximum benefit of this scheme and develop the habit of getting themselves regularly checked-up for better health.Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included MLA Justice (Retd.) Nirmal Singh, Senior Akali leader Sardarni Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Secretary Health & Family Welfare Mr. Hussan Lal and Director Health Dr. HS Bali.