Guidelines Laid for Health Camps to Ensure Safety

The use of bi-cycle foot pumps for a sterilisation camp in Angul district created shockwaves in the medical fraternity.

Odisha Government’s Health and Family Welfare Department stipulated that any organisation interested to hold health camps must apply a month in advance.

The Health Department stated that applications must be submitted either to the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) or Additional District Medical Officer (ADMO) in a prescribed format.

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Any organisation wishing to hold such events must be a registered entity, as a society or Trust, under Company’s Act or any other Act or professional bodies like Indian Medical Association or Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological and Societies of India.

Once the applications are submitted, a District Quality Assurance Committee (DQAC) will review the same and verify the background of the organisations, requirement and feasibility of the health camps in the proposed location basing on disease burden.

Similarly, facilities to be made available during the camp such as space, drinking water, sanitation, crowd management and importantly, electricity, will also come under verification of the district committee.

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Diagnostic and procedural techniques and technologies will be reviewed to ensure safety. “The guidelines would ensure a proper system and structure for according approval and supervision of such camps which are held with or without government funding,” Health Secretary Arti Ahuja said in the order.

The DQAC would issue approvals based on the evidence to the applicant for holding the camps. In the urban areas, a committee will be formulated under the ADMO for reviewing the applications and issuing approvals.

The government restriction comes in wake of mass screening camps using new technologies as well as mass administration of drugs, vaccines and supplements done for promotional use. In many cases, NGOs too implement the Government schemes and so do corporate bodies as part of their CSR activities.

The guidelines aim at putting in place a proper system and structure for according approval and supervision of such camps, which are held with or without government funding, the health secretary said.

Source-Medindia