Urban ANMs, ASHAs and Medical

Hoshiarpur /Daljeet Ajnoha/July 28 :  Under the directions of Civil Surgeon Hoshiarpur Dr. Mandeep Kamal, a monthly review meeting of medical officers, ANMs and ASHA workers from the urban area was held at the Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur. The meeting was chaired by District Family Welfare Officer Dr. Ranjit Singh and District Vaccination Officer Dr. Seema Garg. Senior Medical Officer Dr. Neha Pal, District Programme Manager Mohammad Asif, D.M.E.O. Anuradha and other health officials attended the meeting.
The session carried out a detailed review of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services, the Universal Immunization Programme, family welfare services and activities held in observance of World Hepatitis Day. Officials issued necessary instructions aimed at further improving the district’s health indicators.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Ranjit Singh said the health department’s primary objective is to make maternal and child health services more effective. He directed that one hundred percent registration of all pregnant women must be ensured and that Early ANC registration should be completed within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. He also instructed that ANC-1 through ANC-4 check-ups for each pregnant woman be completed on schedule.
He urged timely identification, tracking and follow-up of high-risk pregnancies to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Health workers were directed to ensure mandatory testing of every pregnant woman for Hepatitis B.
Dr. Ranjit Singh asked staff to motivate pregnant women to maintain a balanced diet and regularly take iron and folic acid tablets, preventing anaemia and other nutrition-related problems. He emphasised institutional deliveries in government health facilities, saying required services including specialist obstetricians are available at government hospitals. He also instructed regular monitoring and timely referral of pregnant women to reduce stillbirths.
While reviewing the family welfare programme, he urged promoting spacing methods among eligible couples. He added that if any medical store is found selling MTP kits without a doctor’s prescription, the health department should be informed immediately for appropriate action.
Dr. Seema Garg said all vaccination sessions must be held on time as per the microplan and no eligible child or pregnant woman should be left unvaccinated. She instructed field staff to identify eligible beneficiaries door-to-door and sensitise parents to increase HPV vaccine coverage.
Dr. Garg further said every newborn must receive the Hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours of birth. If a pregnant woman is found Hepatitis B positive, the newborn should be provided HBIG (Hepatitis-B Immunoglobulin) promptly according to protocol. She stressed full immunisation, accurate record-keeping and regular tracking of missed beneficiaries.
Activities conducted for World Hepatitis Day were also reviewed. Health staff were instructed to step up hepatitis testing, provide timely treatment and intensify public awareness efforts.
In conclusion, all health workers were directed to implement maternal and child health programmes, immunisation, family welfare and other national health schemes with full dedication and responsibility to further improve the district’s health indicators.