Curb anaemia deaths in Mussoorie: Harsh Vardhan to officials

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Saturday directed government hospitals to immediately launch an "anaemia awareness campaign" here to curb the high number of deaths due to iron deficiency.

Vardhan, who was on a day-long visit to the hill station in Uttarakhand, took cognizance of the conditions at the health centres and urged the medical and government authorities to bridge the gap in the public health delivery system of the town.

"Mussoorie has a surprisingly high disease burden for a region with a salubrious climate. This visit helped me experience first hand the problems of the people and the lack of penetration of the national health mission," he said.

"I will consult the state government on the steps that could bring relief to this region in the short to long term," he said.

Mussoorie also has a high prevalence of tuberculosis despite the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) programme, a control strategy recommended by the World Health Organisaion (WHO).

People also suffer from chronic bronchitis due to smoking which is highly prevalent.

More than half of the people here have Vitamin D deficiency. Emphysema, osteo-arthritis, hyper acidity, high blood pressure, heart disorders and diabetes are also very common.

The health minister visited the two government health facilities in Mussoorie, the 51-bed Community Health Centre and the 14-bed St. Mary's Government Hospital, which is awaiting a facelift and whose original structure is in ruins.