Leh, July 17: Meera Srivastava, Joint Secretary (RCH), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), concluded a two-day visit to the Union Territory of Ladakh to assess the implementation of flagship health programmes and initiatives under the National Health Mission (NHM).
During her visit, the Joint Secretary chaired multiple high-level review meetings with officials including Mission Director NHM Ladakh Bhanu Prabha, Director Health Services, CMOs of Leh and Kargil, and key state- and district-level programme officers. Discussions centered around key initiatives such as HPV vaccination, Routine Immunization, Reproductive and Child Health (RCH), and the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
Officials informed her that 35 vaccination centres have been identified for the upcoming HPV vaccine rollout in Ladakh, with provisions for cold chain infrastructure, medical officer deployment, printing, and internet access. The Joint Secretary emphasized the consistent updating of Hemoglobin (HB) levels of pregnant women on the U-WIN portal, noting that 235 entries had already been uploaded.
The review also focused on boosting TB elimination efforts. Srivastava directed health teams to prioritize TB screening in high-risk populations and workplace clusters. She called for detailed micro-planning on logistics including specimen transport, NAAT testing access, and mobile X-ray availability.
To enhance community outreach, she urged departments beyond health to support Information, Education & Communication (IEC) campaigns. Strengthened monitoring and reporting through CMOs and TB officers, along with robust contact tracing, were highlighted as critical components for controlling TB spread in the region.
As part of her field review, Srivastava visited health facilities at Phyang, Choglamsar, and PHC Thiksey, interacting with frontline workers and evaluating ground-level execution of central health schemes. She also toured SNM Hospital Leh and commended doctors and staff for their dedicated service and innovative practices.
The visit concluded with a strong message of continued collaboration between the UT Ladakh administration and the Ministry to improve health outcomes and accelerate progress toward national public health goals.
