Dr. Balbir Singh Kickstarts 2-Day Training for Newly Promoted SMOs
•Health Minister Urges SMOs to Lead from the Front
• Directs SMOs to ensure the effective implementation of key health schemes including Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana
Chandigarh, February 24 (WISHAVWARTA):- Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Balbir Singh, today inaugurated a comprehensive two-day capacity building training programme for newly promoted Senior Medical Officers (SMOs), emphasising their pivotal role in strengthening the public health delivery system at the district and block levels.
Congratulating the officers on their promotion, Dr. Balbir Singh stated that this training is specifically designed to enhance their administrative, managerial, and programme implementation capacities to ensure that they discharge their new responsibilities with confidence and efficiency. He highlighted that the success of the state’s flagship health initiatives depends largely on the leadership, supervision and commitment of these officers at the field level.
The Health Minister directed the SMOs to ensure the effective implementation of key health schemes including Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY), while asking them to monitor the progress closely by ensuring 100% beneficiary enrolment and timely card generation. The SMOs can leverage the funds for localised healthcare upgrades under the MMSY.
Dr. Balbir Singh directed Senior Medical Officers to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines and diagnostics at Aam Aadmi Clinics, besides supervising the launch of new facilities. He also tasked SMOs with bolstering de-addiction services and monitoring OOAT clinics under Yudh Nashian Virudh initiative.
Furthermore, the Health Minister underscored the importance of the Free Medicines initiative, mandating 100% availability of essential drugs and maintaining transparent stock management to prevent shortages.
He assigned SMOs the responsibility of monitoring the NCD Screening Programme for all individuals above 30 years of age for hypertension, diabetes and cancer, while calling for rigorous supervision of case detection and treatment adherence under the TB Mukt Abhiyan 100-day campaign.
Sharing an anecdote out of his own career as a doctor, he recalled that once he was transferred from CHC Kauli in district Patiala but the people from the village went to the then Health Minister and the Chief Minister to stop my transfer from the village. He exhorted the doctors to serve with such a zeal in the community.
Dr Balbir Singh called for ethical practice, service with smile, compassion and empathy with emphasis on networking with the community as sometimes even simple things can make a big difference. He called upon the officers to work with dedication and accountability to fulfill the vision of a healthy, drug-free, and empowered Punjab—a truly Sehatmand and Rangla Punjab.
Dr Hitinder Kaur Director Health and Family Welfare, Dr Aditi Salaria Director Health Services (Family Welfare) also motivated the newly promoted SMOs to work efficiently and effectively.
Dr Parvinder Kaur Program officer (Training) and other State Program Officers will be training the participants in detail regarding successful implementation of various health programs.
