Date:13/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/13/stories/2008031355110600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Conduct health melas in all panchayat unions: Karur MP

Staff Reporter

Impetus: Karur MP K.C. Palanisamy, second from left, inspecting a medical equipment at a special health mela organised at Thogamalai in Karur district.

KULITHALAI: Efforts would be taken to organise free health melas through the Union Health Ministry in all the panchayat unions coming under a Lok Sabha constituency, said Karur MP K. C. Palanisamy.

Participating in a health mela conducted by the National Rural Health Mission and the State Government’s Department of Public Health at the Panchyat Union High School campus at Thogamalai near here recently, Mr. Palanisamy said that at present three such melas were being conducted in as many panchayat unions in a Lok Sabha constituency.

He would impress upon the Union Health Ministry to increase the number of such melas to cover all the panchayat unions. Karur Collector T.N. Venkatesh said that the aim of the health melas was to screen the rural people for ailments, to prevent onset of diseases and to create awareness among the public on need to prevent communicable diseases. Identity cards were being issued to patients attending the camps. Over 25 medical specialists from various disciplines attended. Kulithalai MLA R. Manikkam, Deputy Director of Health Services K. Sadasivam and others spoke. Over 800 men, 950 women and 320 children attended the health mela of which a total of 18 persons have been referred for higher treatments.