Aimed to augment primary health care services and infrastructure amid the resurgence of Covid cases, MLA Ludhiana Central Surinder Dawar and Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma on Thursday participated in the virtual inauguration of Health and Wellness centres and new buildings of police stations in Sindhwan Bet and Malaud.Participating in the state level virtual inauguration ceremony of Health and Wellness Centres and other development projects, MLA and Deputy Commissioner said that Ludhiana has 222 sub-health centres and all have been upgraded to Health and Wellness Centres.As many as 14 such centres are under-construction and work would be over soon in the coming months, they added and said these centres would also offer Covid vaccination to all entitled which will ramp up the immunization and maximize the coverage ensuring shield against the pathogen.They said that these centres are being operated by Community Health Officers and are offering treatment for various non-communicable diseases including Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and others.
They said that to run these centres, the nursing officers (staff nurses) have been trained by the health department under a specially designed bridge program adding they have undergone six-month training of Community Health Officers from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).They revealed that during the course, theoretical and practical training has been imparted to the Community Health Officers.They said that these centres are proving instrumental in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic effectively by ensuring early reporting of the suspected cases at the first stage.They said the spread of contagion can be curbed with early testing of suspected cases having influenza-like symptoms and would help to break the transmission chain of the virus at the earliest.They claimed that it is first of kind initiative in the country by the government and they have high hopes that these centres would ensure health services to each resident at their doorsteps in urban and rural areas of the district.They also said the new buildings of the Sidhwan Bet and Malaud police stations would also facilitate the people.Prominent among present included Additional Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar, PMIDB Chairman Amarjeet Tikka, PYDB Chairman Sukhwinder Bindra, PSIDC Chairmam KK Bawa, Civil Surgeon Dr Sukhjeevan Kakkar and others.