Health minister launches Human Papillomavirus vaccination vaccine campaign

MANSA: Punjab health and family welfare minister Brahm Mohindra on Wednesday commenced the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for nearly 10,000 girl students in Mansa. The minister was accompanied by principal secretary, health, Anjali Bhawra.

Mohindra said doctors had been directed to take care of every child while administering vaccination. He said the state government had allocated Rs 5 crore for free distribution of this vaccine for girl students in 450 government and 470 private schools of Bathinda and Mansa.

Mohindra said he wished that not even a single child suffered from cancer in the Malwa belt and that the ‘Cancer Train’ soon became history.

“We are quite concerned over the rising number of cancer cases and this is an initiative to keep our girl children healthy,” he said. Expressing concern over the rising number of cervical cancer cases in the world, he said 2.5 lakh deaths were reported every year in the world and 67,000 deaths were from India alone.

He said he was aware of shortage of doctors in government hospitals and the government would deal this issue by introducing jobs for the practitioners with a monthly salary of at least Rs 40,000.

Further, he said a 5-member committee had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the rising instances of dengue in the state and it would submit its report within 15 days. He said a total of 11,132 cases of dengue had been reported in Punjab till date and 32 people have suspected to have died due to it.