DK people advised on fertility control: DHO

Dr Ramakrishna Rao, the Dakshina Kannada District Health Officer, has said that the Department is creating awareness in the district on control of fertility.

“The move has been taken by the Health Department to achieve a sustainable population,” the DHO said on Wednesday, addressing reporters during an interactive session organised at the Patrika Bhavan.

He reminded that it was important to bring down the fertility rate in order to control the increasing population. “The people are advised to limit the number of their children to two. This will also help achieve a better sex ratio,” he added.

Financial aid

Dr Rajesh, district reproductive and child health welfare officer, said that, under the National Family Welfare programme, the male beneficiaries who have not undergone scalpel vasectomy will receive financial assistance up to Rs 1,100.

“Women from BPL, SC and ST families who undergone tubectomy will get similar financial assistance up to Rs 600, while women from APL families will get Rs 250. Women are also encouraged to wear Copper-T after child birth,” he explained.

The officer further said that financial assistance of Rs 600 will be given to women in urban areas and Rs 700 to rural women to promote institutional delivery.

“This will be applicable to deliveries at government hospitals. The rate of non-institution delivery has reduced and is lesser than 1% in the district,” said Dr Rajesh.

MoU with pvt hospitals

Under the public private partnership model, the district Health Department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with certain private hospitals to extend the benefits of government health schemes for deserving patients at affordable rates.

“The facilities that are not available in government hospitals could be availed of in private hospitals under the scheme, as the agreement. The patients will have a choice to select the private hospital in which they want to undergo treatment,” said the DHO.

A project is underway to set up a 10-bed ward exclusively for palliative care at the District Wenlock Hospital, the officer said.

Counselling

Dr Ratnakar, district leprosy control and mental health officer, said that the Health Department had set up committees to counsel students facing examination stress. “The teachers, too, are provided training in this regard. The Department has trained 800 teachers so far. The committee comprises a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a social worker,” he added.

Speaking further, Dr Ratnakar said that awareness programmes are conducted once a week in every taluk. “Follow-ups are organised after the counselling. Individual cases of students are also dealt by the committee,” the officer explained.

Resident Health Officer Dr Navinchandra Kulal, District Working Journalists’ Association President Srinivas Indaje and General Secretary Ibrahim Adkasthala were present at the session.