Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) today launched National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in a workshop at Division of Epidemiology & Public Health (DEPH) building Barzulla wherein Divisional Health Administrators, Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents of Kashmir Division took part.Speaking on the occasion Dr Saleem Ur Rehman, Director Health Services, Kashmir strictly stressed the Divisional and District health administrators to enforce COTPA provisions to increase compliance of the law and make all public places smoke free particularly hospitals and healthcare facilities.He also directed them to work for achieving the key objectives of NTCP like organising Divisional level public awareness campaigns, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research, Advocacy and inter-sectoral linkages, Training and capacity building of multiple stakeholders, Enforcement of the Act, School Awareness Programmes, Setting up and expansion of cessation services.
The workshop started with an overview of Tobacco prevalence and its effects by Epidemiologist Kashmir Dr RehanaKausar followed by Mohammad Altaf (State Consultant NTCP) who sensitised the participants about scientific efforts in achieving the objectives of the programme.Various issues were discussed threadbare and decisions were taken on issues like awareness, enforcement, formation of special checking squads, books/signage boards, monitoring and reporting system to effectively implement NTCP.The department will be working in tandem with other stakeholders to generate awareness and build capacity of the public place managers, enforcement officials, sensitize media and generate awareness among people on tobacco and control issues. At the end, the Director along with all the administrators made a pledge to leave no stone unturned in making this programme a success and implement the aim& objectives of the programme upto the grass root level.
Moreover the Director also chaired RNTCP quarterly review meeting which besides CMOs & MSs was attended by Consultant RNTCP (WHO) State HQ ,District TB officers, Medical Officers State TB Cell and State TB Demonstration Centre Srinagar,Microbiologist IRL Laboratory Srinagar and other officers from RNTCP.The Director directed all the officers for implementation of TOGs and to achieve CDR under guidelines of RNTCP.The Director later also convened an important meeting of all CMOs and MSs on Disaster Preparedness & Management. The future management of Disasters on scientific lines and in accordance with set protocols was elaborated and to be implemented thereof was discussed threadbare.The meeting also emphasized on role of command centres and their coordination at division, district and block levels.