Action to be initiated against Eye Surgeons holding Screening/Operative eye camps without permission: Vini Mahajan

Chandigarh, March 27, 2015: The Principal Secretary, Health, Government of Punjab Vini Mahajan chaired the monthly Civil Surgeons’ Conference held today at Punjab Civil Secretariat. During the conference all the National Health Programmes were reviewed.

According to an official spokesperson, Vini Mahajan said that guidelines for holding general and eye screening /operation camps have already been issued. All the Civil Surgeons have held meeting with NGO hospitals and private eye surgeons and advised them to follow these guidelines in letter and spirit. The guidelines are already available on health department website: www.pbhealth.gov.in. It is mandatory for all the NGO-Hospitals/Pvt. Eye Surgeons to sign an MOU with concerned Civil Surgeon and get permission for holding any eye screening/operation camp. If any camp is held without the permission of concerned Civil Surgeon, the operating eye surgeon will be liable to action. Punjab Medical Council will be duly informed and action will be taken as per rules. She appreciated the Civil Surgeons for holding Glaucoma Screening Camps all over Punjab. More than 22000 persons were examined and 600 Glaucoma cases were treated. Recently a team from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India visited District Hospitals-Mohali, Gurdaspur, Batala, Tarntaran & Govt. Medical College, Amritsar in Punjab and submitted a very satisfactory report to the Govt. regarding availability of eye equipment and performance.

All the Civil Surgeons, District Nodal Officers, Tobacco Control Cell, Punjab were congratulated for a highly successful, first of a kind three day campaign to tackle the menace of Tobacco/Nicotine in which more than 1700 violators were challaned for violation of Anti-Tobacco Act/Ban on chewable tobacco/Hukkah Bars/ E-Cigarettes. Raids were conducted on more than 1400 Hotels/eateries & Paan/Cigarette Shops to check violations as per directions of Hon'ble High Court. She said that such campaigns will continue in future to protect the youth from abuse of tobacco/Nicotine.

During the conference, PGI studies for "Tobacco Smoke Free" Ludhiana & “Total COTPA Compliant first City” Hoshiarpur were released by Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health.

Civil Surgeons Tarn-Taran, Ludhiana, Moga and Hoshiarpur were honoured by Hussan Lal, Secretary Health cum Managing Director, National Health Mission for getting their respective districts declared as "Tobacco Smoke Free" and for getting Hoshiarpur City declared as "Total COTPA Compliant" .