CATCH is a momentous, historic and path breaking initiative

Programme on free annual health checkup for Sikkimese launched

by Pravin Rai

Gangtok, August 26: Aiming to change the mindset of all from disease to health, to provide systematic and comprehensive health check up and in order to make Sikkim, one of the healthiest State of India by 2015, a programme Comprehensive Annual & Total Checkup for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) was formally launched by the State Health Department.

CATCH is a momentous, historic and path breaking initiative and first of its kind in India, a priority health commitment of Sikkim Government, informed the State Health Minister Mr DN Thakarpa.

The Chief Minister Mr Pawan Chamling – under whose aegis the programme was launched – said, “CATCH Sikkim is community owned programme where the community takes action together with care provider for change for comprehensive health”. He further emphasized that such an initiative is the first of its kind of its in the entire globe providing community based intensive comprehensive, annual and total health checkup and care free of charges close to their doorsteps.

He also made an appeal to peoples from all walks of life to join hands to achieve success for the said programme.

The mission of the programme intended in providing systematic and comprehensive health checkup, which is promotive and preventive to all Sikkimese citizens on annual basis, so as to enable them to maintain good health and early diagnosis of potential risk factors and diseases in their early stages and to provide curative and rehabilitative health care and collectively take up appropriate individual and community interventions to work towards making Sikkim one of the healthiest state.

During the function that was held to mark the inauguration of CATCH, announcement was made to distribute ‘Health Card’ to all the citizens of Sikkim.

Certain kilometers of road around the capital city, Gangtok was also dedicated to Late Mother Teresa that will be tagged as Mother Teresa road from today in view of paying homage and respect to Mother Teresa on her 100th birth anniversary.

10 bedded new emergency unit at STNM hospital, Gangtok was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister Mr Pawan Chamling.

The new emergency block has been upgraded from the old one with several new features including large number of beds, from ordinary beds to fowler bed better and modern equipments and other aesthetic amenities like ventilators, defibrillator, portable x-ray machine, cardiac monitors and like wise. The total cost incurred on civil works was 28.28 Lakhs and equipment inventory cost 34.71 Lakhs.

Source: Haal Khabar | www.haalkhabar.net