The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Punjab Balbir Singh Sidhu today conferred state level Kayakalp Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan awards for the year 2018-19 to the government hospitals for their best medical practices at Mansa today.While speaking at the event Health Minister Mr Balbir Singh Sidhu said that the awards are meant to inculcate best practices in medical field as habit. The winning medical facilities have been adjudged in the parameters of hospital upkeep, sanitation and hygiene, waste management infection control, support services, hygiene promotion and works done beyond the boundary walls of hospital.He said that Punjab government has reiterated its promise of health for all with the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana launch that covers 46 lacs families of the state amounting to around 80 percent population of Punjab. Under the scheme, 1396 kinds of illnesses are covered for cashless and free treatment upto Rs 5 lacs per annum per family at the government hospitals and empanelled private hospitals.Talking to the media persons he said that to overcome paucity of specialists in government hospitals the government has already recruited 81 specialists. Following the Haryana pattern, government was soon going to re-employ in specialists aged 58 to 62 years so that more people could be provided with the services of specialists. He added that government has freshly inducted 118 ayurvedic medical officers to give an impetus to ayurveda and will soon be moving towards upgradation of ayurveda government hospitals.
Answering a media query he said that government has relaxed eligibility conditions for PCMS doctors' admission to post graduation courses. He said that earlier PCMS doctors who had completed 4 years of service in difficult rural areas and 6 years service in other rural areas were given 30 percent incentive marks and allowed to pursue PG courses. Now the requirement of rural service has been reduced from 4/6 years to 2/3 years. This has been done to enable PCMS doctors to pursue and complete their degree as early as possible and serve health department for longer period of time.Meanwhile, in the district hospitals category, the District Hospital Pathankot was given first prize with cash award of Rs 25 lacs, Mata Kaushalya Devi Hospital Patiala was given second prize worth Rs 15 lacs and District Hospital Mansa was awarded Rs 10 lacs third prize. In sub district category, Sub Division Hospital Gidderbaba (Sri Muktsar Sahib) was conferred first award and in community health center category, CHC Shankar (Jalandhar) was awarded first prize.Also four government hospitals were awarded National Accreditation of National Quality Assurance standards 2018 prestigious certificates. After lot of preparation for almost 3-4 years, these hospitals achieved all standards as set by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India at par with standards as compared to private hospitals. These four hospitals included sub district hospital Dasuya, sub division hospital Mukerian, CHC Goniana (Bathinda) and Urban Primary Health Center (UPHC) Bishan Singh Nagar (Patiala). Besides this DMC Kapurthala Dr Sarika Duggal was honoured with top performer award. Former Civil Surgeon Ludhiana Dr Parvinder S Sidhu and former civil surgeon Patiala Dr Manjit Singh war awarded with bets performing civil surgeon award. Also best SMOs (who have worked in sustaining Kayakalp ranking), assistant hospital administrators, internal assessors, and hospitals that have secured above 70 percent in Kayakalp ranking were also honoured.MLA Mansa Naja Singh Manshahia, Deputy Commissioner Mansa Apneet Riyait, SSP Dr Narendra Bhargava, Director Health Punjab Dr Meena Hardeep Singh, Dr Parvinder Kaur state nodal officer quality officer, former MLA Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Harkesh CHand Sharma political secretary to health minister Congress district president Dr. Manoj Bala, ADC G Rajdeep Brar, SDM Mansa Abhijit Kaplish, SDM Budhlada Aditya Dachalwal, GA Navdeep Kumar, Civil Surgeon Mansa Dr. Lal Chand Thakral, Dr. Ranjit Rai, Dr. Jank Raj, civil surgeons of various districts and other dignitaries were also present.