Principal Secretary Health & Medical Education, Dr Pawan Kotwal today emphasized the need for strong convergence of the line departments to ensure holistic health care and to improve the National De-worming Day (NDD) coverage.He was addressing the State Level Coordination Committee meeting for NDD with the officials of the Health, Education, ICDS, Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation and Panchayati Raj departments here at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar. National Deworming Day is slated to be observed on 10th August 2018 across the Country with special focus on aspirational districts through Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.Dr Pawan Kotwal urged the line departments to give their full cooperation and coordinate with the health department for observing NDD effectively.He also called for concerted efforts to make the entire State free from Soil Transmitted Helminths, and to give emphasis on sanitation, cleanliness and for developing effective IEC strategies for community awareness and mobilization during National Deworming Day.Along with Albendazole administration, he directed the officers to ensure behaviour change practices in terms of cleanliness, hygiene, use of toilets, wearing shoes/chappals, washing hands etc. which is also important to reduce incidents of re-infection.
Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K, Dr Yashpal Sharma while giving the power point presentation in the meeting, announced that for August round of National Deworming Day this year, the Government is aiming to reach more than 52 lakh children and teenagers in the age group of 1-19 years in the State and it shall be implemented through the platform of all the Government and Private schools and Anganwadi centres in the State. He informed that last year 35.96 Lakh children in the August 2017 round were successfully reached and dewormed on National Deworming Day. Deworming of the children ensures prevention of cognitive disability as well decreasing the school drop-out rate of children by improving the overall health of the children. All these initiatives move us closer to overall wholesome development.During a discussion regarding the establishment of Health & Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat Programme, District Development Commissioners of aspirational districts of Kupwara and Baramulla were told to establish Health & Wellness Centres in the twin districts by 15th August 2018 as per Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan guidelines for providing Comprehensive Primary Health Care to the masses.Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir; Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr N.A. Naqash; State Mission Director, ICDS, VirjiHangloo; Director Rural Development Department, Jammu; Deputy Director, Health Services, Kashmir; Chief Medical Officer, Baramulla & Kupwara and other officials were present in the meeting.