Saroori inaugurate NRHM Sammelan at Sarthal.

September: A block level “Sammelan” (seminar) on National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was organized at Higher Secondary Sarthal in District Kishtwar on Friday for awareness generation and implementation of various schemes.

The event was organised by BMO Kishtwar, Dr Parveez Iqbal “The main aim to organize the seminar was to create awareness about various NRHM schemes among Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Senior citizens, and to guide health functionaries like ASHAs, FMPHW, ICDS and field staff about their implementations,” said Dr Parveez.

Former Minister and MLA Inderwal G M Saroori was the chief guest on the occasion. BDO Drabshallah Akhtar Qazi, CDPO Drabshallah Khalid Hussain Malik, Principle and Head Master of Higher Secondary School Sarthal Mohammad Amin Kichloo, Sarpanches including Mohd Shafi Saroori, Kailash Kumar, Sher Singh, Mohd Aslam Saroori, Choudhary Abdul Karim, Subash Chander, Panches, Asha Workers, Students of Sarthal Higher Secondary School and people were present in the Sammelan.

Speaking on the occasion Saroori said, “Sammelans of this kind go a long way in informing people about the new schemes from which people usually are unaware of.” Last year these sammelans were organized at district level. However, this year the government has asked the officials to organize them at block level.

“Implementation of NRHM Scheme has been streamlined by posting adequate number of doctors in the far flung and remote areas thus improving health services to great extent” he said. He lauded the role of ASHA workers and said they are instrumental in providing healthcare and guidance to the expecting mothers at their doorsteps and educating the women folk about the benefits of the institutional deliveries.

He appealed to the general Public to come vehemently against the Social evil of female foeticide to improve the birth rate of girl child to overcome the adverse sex ratio. He said that healthcare was the core sector and the present government was making every effort to expand its base by creating adequate infrastructure. He said NRHM scheme was instrumental in achieving these objectives. He also appealed to the Panchs and Sarpanchs to utilize the funds for the rural sanitation in a judicious manner and asked them to monitor developmental activities going on in their Panchayats.

Saroori said providing better healthcare delivery system at the doorsteps of people is main aim of the mission underlining the importance of strengthening institutions of ASHA workers for the purpose. He said that Kishtwar is remote and hilly district and a large chunk of population live in far flung areas and ASHA’s are the only link between rural population and health department. He exhorted upon the authorities to fully utilize the services of the ASHA workers in rural areas. He said that there is need for creating awareness about the mission among the people so that healthcare delivery system gets improved in far flung and inaccessible areas of the district.

During the samelan, awareness regarding various components of NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) like Janani Suraksha Yajana (JSY), Maternal Health, Child Health, family planning, Menstrual Hygiene programme, school Health programme, pre Natal Determination tests (PNDT) ASHA’s incentives, immunization, and trainings was created among the participants of the sammelan.

The students of Higher Secondary School Sarthal presented folks songs, skits and other educative programmes depicting the aims and objectives of NRHM which kept the audiences spell bound.