Central health official visits South Tripura, reviews progress of national health programmes

A high-level delegation led by Meera Srivastava, Joint Secretary of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Division under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), conducted a comprehensive review of healthcare services and the implementation of national health programmes during a visit to South Tripura district on Thursday.

The delegation included Tripura National Health Mission (NHM) Joint Mission Director Dr. Jubilee Debbarma, State Surveillance Officer (IDSP) Dr. Antara Banik, State Programme Officer (RCH) Dr. Ishita Guha, UNDP State Programme Officer Gauri Shankar Pati, and UNDP UCPR Moumita Gope. 

They were received by the District Magistrate and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of South Tripura.
A detailed review meeting was held in the presence of the District Magistrate, the CMO, and senior district health officials. 

The discussions focused on the overall health scenario in the district, progress of the immunisation programme, the measles situation, malaria control measures, and the implementation of other key national health initiatives.

During the meeting, Srivastava stressed the need to further strengthen the delivery of healthcare services at the grassroots level. 

She directed officials to ensure that healthcare benefits reach every eligible beneficiary, particularly in remote areas, while emphasizing timely data collection, prompt reporting, and maintaining accuracy in data related to various National Health Mission programmes.

Following the review meeting, the delegation visited field-level healthcare facilities to assess programme implementation firsthand.

 At the Bashkadua Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) under Amjadnagar Gram Panchayat, which falls under the Matai Primary Health Centre, the team interacted with healthcare workers and ASHA workers and reviewed the progress of immunisation and other essential health services.

The delegation also visited villages along the India-Bangladesh international border to understand the unique healthcare challenges faced by border communities. Later, they inspected Belonia Sub-Divisional Hospital (SDH) to review patient care services, healthcare infrastructure, medical facilities, and the implementation of ongoing national health programmes.

Concluding the visit, Srivastava appreciated the efforts of district health officials, doctors, healthcare personnel, and ASHA workers for their commitment to improving public health services. 

She also instructed officials to further strengthen measles surveillance, expand awareness campaigns at the grassroots level, and enhance the delivery of healthcare services across the district.

The primary objective of the district visit was to reinforce the implementation of various national health programmes in South Tripura, closely monitor field-level activities, and ensure the delivery of efficient and quality healthcare services to the people.