Health dept to implement 'Nagu Magu' scheme: Minister

Generic drug stores will come up in all taluks

Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader has said that the health department will implement ‘Nagu Magu’ scheme to take home safely puerperal women and child after delivery from hospitals.

Speaking at meet the press organised by the DK district Working Journalists Association and Mangalore Press Club here on Saturday, he said that 108 ambulance service helps pregnant women to reach the hospital for delivery. However, after the delivery, there was no mechanism to reach home mother and child safely. The scheme will mainly deal with maternity care.

Generic drug stores

The State government is committed to set up generic drug stores in all the districts and taluk centres. “We want to ensure that the general public will have access to an affordable drugs. No patient should die of non availability of drugs at an affordable price.”
The government has also announced that an Indian Institute of Public Health would  come up in Bangalore in the budget. Though the State government wanted to set up dialysis centre in each taluk, owing to shortage of technical staff, it has been decided to open the centres in one taluk in every district, he added.

Iron tablets

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Gulam Nabi Azad will launch a scheme in Bangalore on July 17 that provides iron folic acid tablets to students as a preventive measure against anaemia.

This programme is a first in the country. The tablets would be given to students from classes I to X in the State after the midday meal, once a week. Teachers too would be provided the tablets to set an example to the students. “With this we want to ensure that anaemia problem is overcome in the State in the next 10 years.”

Stating that health helpline ‘Arogya Vani’ (104) is successful in the State, he said that the public can complain to the helpline on the failure of a doctor to respond to the needs of a patient in a PHC. “We will have a complete data on diseases in the districts, taluks within six months,” he said.

The Minister said that rural service will be made mandatory for the medical practitioners. Though a Bill in this regard was passed by  legislature, it was yet to get the President’s assent.

Yettinahole project

To a query on proposed Yettinahole project, the minister said that the project was given approval by the previous BJP government.

“Siddaramaiah has earmarked funds for the project, keeping in mind the interest of the entire State. Now, we have to impress upon the government to implement Paschima Vahini Yojane, to increase ground water table.”

Package for endo victims

The Minister said that the government is mulling over a permanent package for endosulfan victims, so that they will be taken care throughout their life. A mere distribution of compensation will not be of much help to the victims. A district-level committee has submitted a proposal of Rs 70 crore to take up rehabilitation work in the affected areas. If any organisations come forward to take up service in endosulfan affected areas with due permission from the concerned, then the government is ready to extend all possible help to the organisation, he added.