Wellness centres a tool to combat quack menace: Minister

VRSI ANNUAL CONFERENCE Health dept in process of adopting ultramodern facilities to take healthcare services to another level: JP Singh

VRSI ANNUAL CONFERENCE Health dept in process of adopting ultramodern facilities to take healthcare services to another level: JP Singh

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LUCKNOW UP health and family welfare minister Jai Pratap Singh on Thursday said that the government’s upcoming wellness centres programme was a tool to combat quack menace, which is rampant in UP.

The government is in the process of setting up over 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres across the country.

“Wellness centres will be a sure shot solution to the problem of quacks, the menace with which UP is grappling with. We are making all efforts to ensure effective implementation of the wellness centres programme aimed at reaching out to the masses,” said the health minister.

He was addressing the inaugural session of the 28th annual conference of Vitreo Retinal Society of India organised here on Thursday.

Through the wellness centres, people can be given basic health related services at the village level thus preventing them from approaching quacks, said the minister.

“We are also imparting training to local staff to run the centres in an effective manner,” said Singh, who was also the chief guest on the occasion.

He also said that the health department was in the process of adopting ultramodern facilities to take the existing healthcare services to another level.

The minister praised the innovations by Dr Balram Bhargava, director-general, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi and assured that these would be adopted by UP’s health department to improve services.

Bhargava, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, said India had done phenomenally well in the healthcare sector.

“Even the most sophisticated treatment is now available in India. Our cost of medical services has been lowest. Despite such achievements, we have failed to cater to a major part of the society (the lower strata) that can’t afford expensive health services. Thus our efforts should be more on making the services and facilities affordable,” he said.

“We have done well, but we can do better. We have to provide health services for all, ensuring universal coverage. And health/wellness centres will play a key role in this regard,” added Bhargava.

Dr Shobhit Chawla, president of VRSI, which is one of the most prestigious bodies of vitreo retinal surgeons across India, said the annual conference of VRSI was a scientific forum designed to establish, nurture and support various medical and surgical interventions for vitreo retinal diseases. He felicitated Dr Balram Bhargava on the occasion.

The three-day conference that envisions sharing clinical expertise, solving clinical challenges and exchanging novel techniques was attended by 600-plus vitreo retinal surgeons from India and abroad.

The conference also witnessed various scientific deliberations, discussions and presentations on various topics and speakers from India and abroad. Medical experts from all the leading institutes in India like AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh, LVPEI, Shankar Netralaya etc attended the conference.

Many leading international medical experts like Dr Steve Charles, Dr Adrian Koh, Dr Phil Rosenfeld, Prof Hany Hamza, Prof Hassan Mortada, Prof Mostafa Nabih, Prof Sherif Sheta, Dr Mark Gillies, Dr Adnan Tufail, Dr Hassan Mortada, were part of the conference.

About VRSI

*VRSI was founded in 1992, by a small group of 20 vitreo retina specialists under the presidentship of Dr TN Ursekar and Dr Rumi P Jahangir as the first secretary.

*Over the next 25 years, this exclusive group expanded to over 1,000 vitreo-retina specialists with over 90% of India’s actively practicing vitreo-retina specialists being its life members.

*VRSI is dedicated for providing education and upgrade of knowledge for its members and organizes various scientific conferences, meetings and skill development programmes.

Dr Shobhit Chawla, president of VRSI, said the annual conference is a scientific forum designed to establish, nurture and support various medical and surgical interventions for vitreo retinal diseases