Swachchta hi Sewa: Health Minister Shri J P Nadda offers Shramdaan

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare offered shramdaan along with senior officers of the Health Ministry and staff members at Nirman Bhawan, here today. The Health Minister along with officers and staff viewed the live telecast of the Prime Minister as he launched the Swachchta Hi Sewa activities today through live video conference with various stakeholders, Swachchta champions and volunteers across the country.

Shri Nadda and senior officers including Ms. Preeti Sudan, Health Secretary inspected various offices and divisions at Nirman Bhawan and urged the officers and staff members to maintain cleanliness and hygienic working environment. He stated that under the leadership of the Hon. Prime Minister, sanitation has become a mass movement where widespread awareness has been created among the people towards keeping their surroundings clean. Sanitation is a key determinant of health, he said, and a clean and hygienic environment shall hugely contribute to preventing many diseases. Shri Nadda reiterated the importance of preventive and promotive health.

The Swachhta hi Sewa movement, which aims at generating greater public participation towards Swachhta, is being organized in the run up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, on 2nd October  2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150th year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.

Shri Nadda stated that the central government hospitals are also launching such fortnight activities, and senior officers from the Health Ministry shall visit the central government hospitals to be part of these efforts. The Kayakalp initiative, he stated, has been launched to  encourage every public health facility in the country to work towards standards of excellence to help the facilities stay clean and hygienic. This does not apply only to physical cleanliness, but to develop and put in place systems and procedures for activities such as bio-waste disposal or protocols etc. The initiative towards total “Swachchta” in public health facilities is aimed towards building confidence of the users in public health facilities, provide quality service and encourage team work, he said.