Street plays for sanitation awareness in KBK areas

The Pioneer, Sept 7, 2007
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday directed the Health Department officials to start public awareness campaign in the KBK region on the use of safe drinking water and impact of proper sanitation. Patnaik directed the officials while taking a review meeting of the Health Department at the State Secretariat.

It has been decided that to spread the message, Government will focus on arranging street side meeting. The officials will take the help of street plays like Pala, Daskathia and other form of street shows to create the awareness.

It has also been decided that public awareness meeting would be organised at the block headquarter at a regular interval. Ward member, panchayat sammitee member, anagwanwadi karmee and other public representatives will attend the meeting. Collector and Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of the concerned district will attend the meeting. They will educate the people on this issue. Rural Development Department has been asked to put stress on the setting up of more tubewells in the KBK and the tribal dominated areas. They would be remained in charge of disinfection of drinking water. Panchayat Raj Department will provide the necessary help. Forest Department has also been asked to settle all the hurdles in clearing forest lands for the purpose of building roads to inaccessible areas. "All the health related programmes should continue on a regular basis in the KBK areas," Patnaik said to officials.

In order to create housing facilities for doctors in the remote parts of the KBK areas, it has been decided that more quarters will be constructed under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) programme for doctors. SC and ST Department would be asked to spend money from their fund for the improvement of supply of drinking water. Safe drinking water will be available in all the schools, hospitals and anaganwadi centre. Toilets will be set up in all the slums and public institutions. Doctor teams will be sent to the tribal dominated areas on a rotation basis.

Patnaik also took stock of the situation that has been come up due to the rampant spread of fake medicine in the State. Officials informed the Chief Minister that till September 4, 2965 samples on allopathic medicines were collected from all the over the State. Similarly, 93 samples on Ayurvedic medicines were collected. 30 cases have been registered in this connection. Similarly, 123 nursing homes, 59 ultra sound clinics and 27 MTP centres have been sealed. Chief Minister directed he officials to lodge court cases against these illegal nursing homes, ultra sound clinics and MTP centres.