Pilibhit: Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel, during a review meeting of the Red Cross Society in Pilibhit on Wednesday, issued directions to the district magistrate (DM), chief medical officer (CMO), and office bearers of the Red Cross to constitute a team and conduct a raid on ultrasound centres in the district to curb female foeticide. She said the measure was essential to address the male to female ratio imbalance in the country.
The meeting was held at the Gandhi Meeting Hall of the collectorate campus as part of the governor’s two-day official visit to Pilibhit. During the meeting, Patel suggested launching extensive awareness drives, particularly in rural areas, to inform people that foetal testing is a cognisable offence.
The governor also emphasised the need for organising health camps across the district, especially for infants and children, and promoting homeopathic medicines due to its easy administration on children, minimal side effects, and cost-effectiveness compared to allopathic medicines.The governor also emphasised the need for organising health camps across the district, especially for infants and children, and promoting homeopathic medicines due to its easy administration on children, minimal side effects, and cost-effectiveness compared to allopathic medicines.
In a bid to minimise risks of cervical cancer, CMO Dr Alok Kumar, was directed to ensure HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination of all 900 students of govt-run Kasturba Kanya Vidyalayas (KKVs) in the district. Kumar said the cost of the HPV vaccine would be borne by the Red Cross as it was not available free of cost under govt supplies. “The vaccine, which costs between Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000 in the open market, is administered in two doses at an interval of 6 months,” he said.
Citing Gujarat’s success in implementing the Centre’s Pravesh Utsav campaign to promote admission of all children to schools, the governor said, “Through the initiative, Gujarat recorded a 90% literacy rate in males and 80% in females, while UP stood at 73% and 52%, respectively.”
Calling for a resolution in promoting primary education for every child in the state, she instructed officials to chalk out a plan to effectively conduct the drives. “This is an inevitable exercise as the dropout rate of primary students is very high in UP,” she said.
Governor Patel also visited the Chuka ecotourism spot and reviewed the status of wildlife management and conservation at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
