The women devotees of Maa Durga will get a social blessing this Navratri in the form of free health camps. Spearheaded by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and Thane Collectorate, the campaign titled 'Mother Safe, Family Safe' will start from today and go ontillOctober 5.
Under the initiative, females aged above 18 years, mothers, and pregnant women will be comprehensively examined at all primary health care centers in the TMC jurisdiction as well as in Thane district.
Also, health kiosks will be setup at prominent pandals of the city, like the one at the Tembhi Naka. Every year, women devotees in huge numbers pay obeisance to Maa Durga at the Tembhi Naka pandal.
The civic body has made arrangements for free of cost medical screening of women. The available tests include BMI, hemoglobin, blood sugar level, sonography, urine tests, mammography, X-ray and ECG. Also,further treatment will be provided by referring patients to the civic hospital.
To make the initiative successful, the authorities have roped in eminent gynecologists and paediatricians. Women and children will be given medicines like folic acid, calcium and iron. Counseling sessions will be held on topics such as preconception care, mental health, breastfeeding, addiction recovery and nutrition.
Vaccination of mothers and children will also be carried out during the campaign. Women aged above 30 years of age will be screened for cancer, blood pressure and diabetes.
Collector Rajesh Narvekar said, “A district level coordination committee meeting was held on Saturday. The campaign will be implemented in rural areas of Ambernath, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Badlapur and Ambernath municipal corporations, and primary health centers.”
District health officer Dr Gangadhar Parge said, “Health examination of pregnant mothers will be conducted by medical officers. For this, awareness will be created with the cooperation of Asha workers, Anganwadi Sevika, among others.”
