Ensure medicines reach Anganwadi centres, panchayats for sickle cell care: UP Governor
Lucknow:
Uttar Pradesh Governor
Anandiben Patel on Monday emphasised the need for ensuring the availability of medicines for sickle cell anaemia patients at
Anganwadi centres
and panchayat offices, saying treatment alone is not enough unless access and awareness are improved at the grassroots level.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at Raj Bhavan on the Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, the governor said a holistic approach was necessary to rid tribal communities of the disease.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the Health portfolio, also attended the meeting.
"Merely giving medicines will not suffice. We need a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the disease from society," she said.
She recommended multiple measures to strengthen the response to sickle cell anaemia, including providing nutritious food to patients, offering support under adoption and mass marriage schemes for affected youth, and launching awareness drives involving senior citizens in tribal areas.
Governor Patel also called for structured counselling, provision of bone marrow transplants, and promotion of testing and research at major hospitals. She issued directions to improve the sex ratio in certain districts, ensure mandatory registration of private hospitals, collect and analyse delivery and infant health data, and crack down on doctors involved in female foeticide.
Surprise inspections by senior officers were also stressed to monitor
public healthcare services
, according to a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan here.
Highlighting the role of traditional medicine, the Governor suggested greater outreach of
AYUSH and Homeopathy
, including the distribution of homeopathic medicines at Anganwadi centres and primary schools, and preparing lists of essential drugs and dosage charts for each centre.
She also instructed officials to organise seminars and workshops for doctors, focusing on the effectiveness of different treatments for specific illnesses. Stressing early childhood education, she said school enrolment and attendance must be ensured through better coordination between Anganwadi centres and primary schools. PTI
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