The State Government has decided to conduct praja palana (people oriented governance) for 10 days from September 17 with focus on gathering information to issue ration cards and health cards to all eligible people.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has said that there would be no link between ration cards and health cards forthwith, as the government has resolved to issue separate cards to beneficiaries. Digital health cards will henceforth be the basis for extending financial assistance under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
Officials concerned will gather information from all the families across the State (in all villages and wards) as part of Praja Palana ahead of issuing the cards. He directed the officials to embolden the village level administration for successful conduct of the event.
Participating in a review meeting with senior officials on Tuesday, the Chief Minister discussed about the modalities that should be followed for issuing digital health cards to eligible beneficiaries.
The meeting discussed about the tests that should be conducted on all individuals for preparing a comprehensive health profile. Mr. Revanth Reddy directed the Health department officials to work out modalities on whether the medical tests should be conducted at the village level itself or whether to involve the laboratories in the State.
Seasonal diseases
He told the participants that France was implementing the best system of digital health cards and asked the officials concerned to study the functioning of the system there. Mr. Revanth Reddy wanted the officials to be cautious about the spread of seasonal infections and expressed concern over the rise in cases pertaining to dengue, chikungunya and viral fevers in different parts of the State. The Health department was directed to take adequate precautionary measures to contain the spread of these viral infections.
Suspension for dereliction of duty?
He wanted fogging operations to be intensified in rural and urban areas for checking mosquito menace while senior officials should conduct field visits on regular basis to check the progress of these operations. Officials were directed to suspend employees found guilty of dereliction of duties.
He was particular about the steps that should be taken in the GHMC area asking the officials, including the District Collector, to work in close coordination. Simultaneously, awareness camps should be conducted involving police, NGOs and media on seasonal diseases.
At the district level, the respective collectors should evolve special action plans in coordination with the Panchayat Raj department besides conducting field visits to get first hand information about the situation at the grass root level.
Steps should be taken to identify the reasons behind the outbreak of viruses and officials should take up sanitation works at the village level to prevent the spread of these ailments. Health Minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and other senior officials were present.
