Garo Hills DC wants every village under health service

TURA: Deputy Commissioner and Chairman, District Health Society, South West Garo Hills, Ramkumar S, has called for organising of Village Health & Nutrition Days (VHNDs) in every village of the district in a more coordinated and systematic approach so as to improve immunisation coverage, promote institutional deliveries and boost the overall health, nutrition and sanitation practices at the grassroots level.
The Deputy Commissioner had convened a meeting of the Health officials and MOs of all PHCs /CHCs in the district along with the BDOs of the three C&RD blocks, ICDS projects and team of Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen at DRDA conference hall, Ampati recently, with a view to enhance immunisation coverage in the district as well as the State as a whole.
He said one of the ways to achieve that was to make VHNDs a way of life in every village.
Although the overall percentage of Meghalaya in terms of immunisation coverage of children is one of the lowest in the country, South West Garo Hills district has fared better and achieved over 90 percent coverage till date.
The Deputy Commissioner, while commending the efforts of the district health functionaries, has however underlined the need to bridge the gap in coverage and urged the district team to go further and achieve more than 100 percent immunization coverage. “VHNDs should be considered a sacrosanct program.  In fact, it must become a habit of every village and should be taken as an integrated approach towards immunization, nutrition, sanitation and family planning”, he said.
Reminding the basic objective of organising Village Health and Nutrition Day every month in every village, the DC emphasized on the active involvement and coordination of all BDOs,  ICDS Projects, SBM-G teams as well as the VECs and SHGs along with the ANMs, Anganwadi workers  and ASHAs to make VHND an effective intervention at the village level.
He urged upon the BDOs to monitor and follow up VHNDs at the block level and to make it a point to attend at least 3-4 VHNDs a month in their respective blocks.
All MOs were also asked to focus on VHNDs and monitor the activities of the day, particularly check up of expectant mothers, particularly high-risk mothers and child immunisation to prevent maternal and infant deaths.