New Delhi: Inspired by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, the government has started work on the principle of ‘one district one medical college’ to convert all districts in the country into ‘Ayushman’ districts, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday (January 7). Dr Mandaviya was speaking at the inauguration of a Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) sub-zonal office and Central Drug Testing Laboratory (CDTL) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
He also laid the foundation stone for various facilities in AIIMS, Bhopal and inaugurated a slew of other facilities in Madhya Pradesh which includes 190 pharmaceutical industries, 55 WHO-GMP complied manufacturing units and 163 blood centres, among others.
Prior to this, Dr Mandaviya also addressed the 75th Foundation Day ceremony of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in Indore.
At the inauguration of the CDSCO sub-zonal office, Dr Mandaviya said that,
Monitoring the quality of medicines through the sub-zonal office will ensure access to high quality medicines to the citizens and provide ease of doing business for the stakeholders of pharmaceutical industries of Madhya Pradesh through the regulatory functions of CDSCO.
He further said that CDTL and sub-zonal office at CDSCO Bhawan, Indore will be entrusted with various responsibilities of regulation of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
The Union health minister also inaugurated six new health facilities at AIIMS, Bhopal, which included a drone station, Dexa scan suit, gym complex, and trauma and emergency operation theatre complex.
He highlighted,
It is the dream of Prime Minister that AIIMS should be opened in all states of the country on the lines of AIIMS New Delhi. In the last 10 years, 17 AIIMS have been opened bringing the total number of AIIMS to 23 in the country.
Addressing the diamond jubilee celebration of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, Dr Mandaviya said,
The name of the institute is associated with respected Mahatma Gandhi. Inspired by the principles given by respected Bapu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted a new education policy to the country. The government has started work on the principle of One District One Medical College to convert all districts in the country into Ayushman districts.
With the opening of a medical college, a huge system is created to monitor public health in that district, he said. He further said,
When we claim that we will eradicate TB by 2025 and today, kala-azar and leprosy are also on the verge of extinction, it is meant that it is the responsibility of these medical colleges to free the respective districts in which they are situated from all these diseases.
During the occasion, Dr Mandaviya also inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College alumni network and released postal stamp and diamond jubilee souvenir of the institute.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
