Health and Family Welfare Minister Punjab Dr. Vijay Singla launched two new initiatives of the health department which are aimed at creating awareness amongst masses as well as for disseminating health information up to the grass root level.Principal Secretary, Health, Shri Raj Kamal Chaudhary and Dr G.B. Singh, Director, Health and family welfare were also present on the occasion.Informing about the new initiatives Dr. Singla stated thar today a monthly magazine named ' Sehat Jagrukta' and an official YouTube channel 'Health Media Punjab',of the department were launched ,he further stated “Covid times have taught us that education and awareness can control any difficult situation, therefore state health department came up with these two initiatives”. “Our prime objective is to educate our people about various government schemes, even our health experts will share their views about signs, symptoms, treatment and prevention of different diseases using these mediums”, he said.
Dr Singla asserted “I will also interact with our people about different initiatives of Punjab government, even inform about reforms and changes in government health facilities”. “I am very hopeful that people will join us through our youtube channel”, he added .He stated that the awareness magazine will be published in Punjabi language and will also be available in the form of an e- magazine, similarly awareness as well as informative videos will be telecast on YouTube channel to reach out to the masses.Stressing on preventive and promotive health he said that health department not only works on the curative or treatment side but it also strives to ensure that people of Punjab do not get sick at all and illness burden is also reduced.
Punjab health department has an established mechanism in the form of MEM (Mass education and media) wing from state to the block level and which works on the preventive side even in the rural areas of Punjabas by using various IEC (Information, education and communication) and BCC ( behavior change communication) techniques of extension education in health.Employees of this wing also work as Master trainers for training of ASHA workers and other paramedical staff of the department.Dr Singla said “It is need of time that we have to strengthen our MEM wing therefore we will provide our personnel latest technology and gadgets so that they could reach masses and disseminate information in a better way and will be able to achieve our goal of a healthy Punjab