CM launches free diagnostics service

Scheme to improve health of the poor: Sonowal

OUR BUREAU

Guwahati, May 11: In a major fillip to state health sector, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal on Thursday launched the ‘Chief Minister’s Free Diagnostics Services’ for sixteen districts simultaneously from Guwahati through video link in a programme held at Assam Administrative Staff College here.

Chief Minister’s Free Diagnostics Services is envisaged to ensure availability of minimum set of diagnostics services at health institutions. Under the scheme, CT Scan, X- Ray and Laboratory services will be provided free of cost to all irrespective of APL or BPL status.

While launching the service, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal termed the new initiative as the beginning of a new era and said that the scheme would immensely help the poor in their health care.

Stating that the scheme will facilitate best possible diagnosis to the poor, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the modern devices put into service will help in improving health care service in the state.

“If health is not good, you can only dream but cannot materialize the same”, Sonowal quipped and urged people to take maximum advantage of the new scheme.

State Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in his speech termed the new initiative as a second generation reform in health sector. “We have already built up the foundation of our health sector. Now the challenge is to take it to next level”, Dr. Sarma said adding that the health functiories would have to ensure quality in their service delivery to meet people’s expectations.

The Health Minister further commented that alongwith the Chief Minister’s Free Diagnostics Service, the recently launched ‘Atal Amrit Abhiyan’ and Mobile Medical Unit for Tea garden’ would be a major game changer in the health sector of the state.

Already 16 CT Scan centers have been made functiol under this programme and another 12 centers will be made operatiol within two months. In normal cases, CT scan reports will be provided within 6 hours and emergency cases within 2 hours. All patient referred by government health institutions will be provided CT scan services free of cost. The newly installed CT scan machines are product of Make in India initiative of Govt. of India.

For X-Ray service, a total of 99 health institutions have been selected which will be connected through Teleradiology. 72 centers are commencing today and rest will be operatiol soon. All the patients of government health institutions, viz. – PHC, CHC and District Hospital will be provided X- ray service free of cost.

Laboratory services at PHC, CHC and District Hospital will be provided free of cost to all through Hub and Spoke model. District Laboratory (Hub) will be set up at 28 district hospitals. These laboratories will be equipped with state of the art technology and equipments. Normal case report will be provided within 24 hours and emergency within 3 hours. A total of 56 nos of tests will be covered under the Chief Minister’s Free Diagnostic Services. 

MP RP Sarma, MLA Bolin Chetia, Chief Minister’s Legal Adviser Santanu Bharali, Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia, Peincipal Secretary (Health) Sameer Sinha and Mission Director, NHM P Ashok Babu were also present in the programme.