Punjab Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education & Research Minister Dr. Vijay Singla today said that ''the impact of diseases is increasing constantly due to contaminated atmosphere and it is prime and collective duty of all of us to ensure clean environment.''While addressing the gathering during the State Level Function to mark the World Health Day here, Dr. Singla said, risk of diseases amplified day by day due to the contaminated environment, urging that people should take it as a challenge and make efforts to ensure a clean and safe environment.The Cabinet Minister also appealed to the people to using bicycle or bus for a day during a week to reach their destination. He also asked to adopt the habit of reuse of goods so as to prevent wastage. He recommended farmers to prevent from the wheat-paddy crop cycle as the groundwater depleted drastically. "Due to the excessive use of chemicals and fertilizers during wheat cultivation, our fellow citizens have been forced to import wheat from Madhya Pradesh at exorbitant prices", added the Minister.
Taking the issue of migration of people from Punjab, the Health Minister said that it is our common duty to provide qualitative higher education, better living standard and cleaner environment for our future generations.Dwelling out about pro-people policies of Punjab government, Dr. Singla said that we will soon provide world class healthcare facilities to people of the state and every citizen will get health card to avail health-related facilities free of cost. ''Punjab government was also working hard to start the Mohalla Clinic. Apart from this, all the state hospitals would be upgraded as per requirement and the medical colleges would also be equipped with world class facilities", he added.Dr. Singla said that the Ambedkar Institute of Medical Sciences coming up in Mohali would be built in such a way that it would compete with the PGI, Chandigarh.On the occasion, the Health Minister also flagged off specially designed vans, which would sensitize people about healthy life. Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Mr. Raj Kamal Chaudhuri, MD Punjab Health Systems Corporation Mr. Bhupinder Singh, Director Health and Family Welfare Dr. G.B. Singh, Director Department of Medical Education and Research Dr. Avinish Kumar and other officers were present during the function.