Imphal, February 28 (IANS). Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday flagged off 33 maternity dedicated ambulances with an aim to strengthen maternal and child health services in all 16 districts of the state.
According to health department officials, these ambulances have been provided with the financial support of North Eastern Council (NEC) and have been purchased by the Directorate of Health Services, Manipur. Its objective is to strengthen maternal and child health services across the state.
The Chief Minister also participated in the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign organized for the prevention of cervical cancer for 14-year-old girls at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Imphal East district.
This campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ajmer, Rajasthan through virtual medium in states and union territories across the country.
During the programme, the Chief Minister inspected the registration counter, vaccination room and observation room at JNIMS. He interacted with doctors, nurses and beneficiaries and handed over the vaccination certificate to a girl who had taken the HPV vaccine. Apart from this, he also took stock of the condition of internal roads and infrastructure of the institute campus.
In his address, the Prime Minister said that the government is making every possible effort for the health and prosperity of the daughters of the country. He described the HPV vaccination campaign as a historic step towards preventive healthcare, which aims to protect the girl child from cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine protects against human papillomavirus infection, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer. This vaccine is being given as a single dose in campaign mode to girls in the age group of 14 to 15 years.
Meanwhile, in Mizoram, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Lalrinpui praised the initiatives of the Central Government regarding women’s health. He said that cancer cases per lakh population in Mizoram are the highest in the country, which is worrying.
He informed that the Director of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai has observed that the high incidence of cancer in the Mizo community is related to excessive tobacco consumption, unhealthy lifestyle and poor eating habits.
The Minister said that according to research, high consumption of smoked and processed meat, pork fat and widespread use of tobacco are the main reasons for the increasing cases of cancer in the state. He said that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India, followed by cervical cancer.
He also said that 99.7 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV infection and to prevent it, providing free HPV vaccine is a commendable step by the government.
Other states in the North-East also participated in the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign.
–IANS
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