Assam Health Minister Reviews NHM, Focuses on Child Health and Water Contamination

GUWAHATI: Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal made his first visit to the National Health Mission (NHM) office since assuming office, conducting a comprehensive review of the organisation’s performance and healthcare initiatives. The review emphasized enhancing healthcare delivery, strengthening key NHM programmes, and addressing critical public health concerns in the state.

The minister reviewed different health programs, including those for mothers and children, teenagers (like RBSK and RKSK), family planning, nutrition, and vaccinations. They also discussed efforts to tackle non-communicable diseases and mental health issues. A major point of focus was combining child and adolescent health monitoring into a single system for ages 0 to 19.

Singhal stressed that the Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) Department should focus on improving child and adolescent health with a more complete approach. To ensure transparency and responsibility, he instructed the department to prepare an annual report by April. This report will include important data, programs, and achievements, helping to track progress and plan future strategies.

Minister Singhal also underscored the importance of increasing public awareness about NHM’s initiatives. He instructed NHM to develop a content calendar and media strategy to improve visibility and outreach across the state. A major concern raised during the meeting was the arsenic and fluoride contamination affecting several districts in Assam. Singhal stressed the urgency of a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach to tackle this public health issue. 

He asked the H&FW Department to work with other agencies, like Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Jal Jeevan Mission, to create a strong plan for preventing water contamination and providing safe drinking water to affected communities. Senior officials attended the meeting, including Dr. P. Ashok Babu, Commissioner & Secretary of the H&FW Department, Dr. Laxmanan S, Mission Director of NHM, and other key members of the organization.

Minister Singhal assured that the government is committed to providing good healthcare for everyone in Assam. He emphasized the need to combine child and adolescent health programs and tackle problems like arsenic and fluoride contamination to improve overall health in the state. His visit and the instructions given during the meeting are expected to bring major improvements to Assam’s healthcare system, showing the government’s strong focus on solving public health issues.

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