Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 16: Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmad Khan today said the Government is keen to encourage the treatment with the Indian System of Medicines in the State.
He said in this regard 438 AYUSH Medical Officers have been engaged at PHCs, 160 posts of Ayurvedic and Unani Medical Officers have been created by corresponding reduction of equal number of posts of Assistant surgeons, besides 396 AYUSH Pharmacist have also been engaged under National Rural Health Mission at Primary Health Centers across the State.
Chairing monthly review meeting of Health Services, Kashmir and its allied organizations, the Minister said that upgradation of ISM infrastructure in the State also received focused attention, adding that construction on 5 major ISM hospitals and 30 dispensaries at an estimated cost of Rs. 101 crore is apace across the State.
Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Shaleen Kabra, Director ISM, Dr. Abdul Kabir Dar, Mission Director NRHM, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem-Ur-Rahman, Project Director State AIDS Control Society, Dr. Madhu Khullur, Controller Drug and Food Organization, Satish Gupta, Deputy Directors, CMOs District ISM Officers and Medical Superintendents besides other concerned senior officers attended the meeting.
The Minister received detailed appraisal of the different health care activities from Director ISM and instructed the concerned functionaries to sensitize the people for availing this choice of treatment. He said the Government had set up ISM health centers at all state and district level hospitals, besides primary health centers, where free of cost medicines and other related facilities had been made available to needy patients.
Mr. Shabir emphasized upon the authorities concerned to ensure proper treatment facilities for people at the ISM hospitals, adding that it should be strictly ensured that patients got free of cost medicines and other health care facilities in these hospitals.
Director, ISM, Dr. Abdul Kabir gave detailed resume of physical and financial achievements registered by the department towards promotion of ISM treatment in the State.
While reviewing the physical and financial achievements of Drug and Food Organization, the Minister asked the Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) to ensure that no drug sub-outlets are operative on proxy basis anywhere in the State and ordered that drug shops should only run by license holders issued by the competent authority of the organization
Mr. Shabir directed field functionaries to keep close vigil on sale of spurious drugs in the markets especially in rural drug shops where such practices are more common to play with the health of innocent patients. “Spurious drugs and proxy drug outlets should be seized and guilty persons should be booked under the Act”, he cautioned the officers.
Mr. Shabir also stressed on lifting of samples of variety edibles in the markets for testing to ensure that no adulteration is made in them which harms the health of the people. He directed that such manufacturers and shopkeepers should be fined and booked, adding that their units should be sealed and licenses canceled under the law.
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