Health Minister Dr. Rajiv Bindal announces that Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) in Himachal Pradesh had improved from 896 in 2001 to 906 as per the 2011 census. He credited it for the vigorous campaign launched by the state government under Beti Hai Anmol Campaign and added that persistence efforts from the staff has made possible to achieve the concrete results on the ground.
Health Minister further said that the Child Sex Ratio in the state had improved as compared to other states like Uttrakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. He said that Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) had shown upward trend in Himachal Pradesh whereas it declined from 908 to 886 in Uttrakhand, 909 to 883 in Rajasthan, 916 to 899 in Uttar Pradesh, 913 to 883 in Maharashtra, 961 to 943 in Andhra Pradesh and 946 to 943 in Karnataka.
Health Minister said that effective steps had been taken by the State Government for the upliftment of women which included providing 50 per cent reservation to them in PRIs, free education upto graduation level, reserving one seat in M.Phil for single girl child besides providing incentives of Rs 25000 after one girl child and Rs 20,000 after two girl children.
He said that the Health department had adopted an aggressive approach to tackle the dipping Child Sex Ratio by organizing effective awareness campaigns under Beti Hai Anmol Campaign by holding prabhat pheries, rallies with the support of Anganwari Workers, Self Help Groups, Mahila and Yuvak Mandals and School Children, special signature campaigns in which nearly 1 lakh signatures were collected. Blood donation campaigns, exhibitions and folk media campaigns were the main highlights of the campaign which was launched across the state.
Dr. Rajiv Bindal directed the officers to ensure vigorous monitoring and hundred percent registrations of ultra sound machines, evolving reliable information system and effective awareness campaigns to sensitize people against female foeticide. He said that six month training would be imparted to doctors in radiology, obstratrics and gynaecology under PC- PNDT Act in IGMC, KNH, three zonal hospitals, Tanda, Hamirpur, Solan, Chamba, Kullu and Una districts. He said that next phase of awareness campaign under Beti Hai Anmol Campaign would be launched from February to December 2012 by involving Panchayats, Anganwari workers, Mahila, Yuvak mandals and Nehru Yuva Kendra. Present in the meeting were Ali Raza Rizvi, Principal Secretary Health, Dr. Vinod Pathak Director Health Services, Rohit Jamwal, Director Health Safety and Regulation and Smt Roopa Sharma, Dr N.K.Kaushik, non official members of the Board besides other senior officers of Health Department.
