The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bandipora, Dr. Owais Ahmad on Tuesday inaugurated the National Deworming Day at a function organised by Chief Medical Officer at Mini-Secretariat Bandipora by providing the tablets to children in the district.After inaugurating the campaign, the DC stressed on the children to maintain cleanliness by washing their hands before eating and also asked the teachers and officials to ensure cleanliness and good hygiene in and around the schools so that students do not fall ill.He also stressed on the health officials to create awareness among the students regarding the benefits of cleanliness and ensure that cleanliness is maintained in schools. He said that the education department has a vital role in awareness among the children about hygienic lifestyle.The DC while highlighting the significance of the programme stressed for better coordination for the overall success of the campaign and exhorted upon educating people at grassroots level and said that other vulnerable sections should be included in the programme.He said the administration has set a target to provide deworming tablets to 158145 children of the district and all the front line workers shall visit house to house to deworm the target population of the district upto 15 September 2021.
He stressed on the officials to give wide publicity to the program so that all parents ensure that their kids are provided this tablet at schools during this month-long campaign. He asked them to make use of all the available channels including print electronic and social media to create awareness about the program so that no child is left out.Dr Owais called for working with more synergy and cooperation so that the objective of universal healthcare is achieved in letter and spirit. He appealed to the people to bring their children to the nearest health centre besides Anganwari centres and educational institutions to make the programme a success.Speaking on the occasion, CMO Bandipora said that the programme was organised to create awareness among the masses especially children about the importance of deworming through medication.He 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.Later the DC reviewed the functionality of ASHA workers. Dr Jitender Mehta Programme Manager ASHA CP&IC NHM J&K also attended the meeting. Officers took the block wise review of ASHA functionality, its progress and implementation at ground level. District ASHA coordinator and District Programme Manager NHM gave the power point presentation on block wise ASHA functionality.Chief Medical Officer Dr Bashir Ahmad, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Bandipora Dr Parvaiza, District Health Officer, Block Medical Officer Hajin and Bandipora , DHO Bpr, BMO Hajan.