Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 3
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chose the World Bicycle Day to join work today and cycled to the office, signalling the benefits of a low expense, low carbon mode of transport over polluting four-wheelers.
Though the minister didn’t comment on whether it was safe to cycle under a sweeping heat wave, he soon issued an advisory on rising summer temperature, asking everyone to keep hydrated, stay indoors from 12 noon to 3 pm and not leave children in parked vehicles.
On Day 1 at his new office, Vardhan wanted to drive home the message that cycling is healthier than using cars. His message: Go green. Even during meetings, he asked officers to perform “one good green deed daily”.
Bureaucrats, who briefed Vardhan, said the minister advised officers to fill their glasses with only as much water as they intend having. “Why waste water?” he said, introducing in the Health Ministry the practice of “good green daily deeds” he initiated as Environment Minister. Vardhan gave officers options of green deeds to choose from—do away with plastic, switch off electrical appliances behind you; segregate waste.
After back-to-back meetings, Vardhan said he would prepare a separate policy on essential medical devices to ensure price control. This would be in line with the government’s previous moves of reducing costs of cardiac stents and orthopaedic implants.
Hinting that the list of devices under price regulation would become lengthier, Vardhan said he would ensure that left out poor and vulnerable people were also covered under the Ayushman Bharat plan.
Priority areas
- Seeking higher allocation for health in the Budget
- Commitment to eliminate TB by 2025 and work for time-bound elimination of leprosy and kala azar
- Strengthening child vaccination programme Mission Indradhanush
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2Ko4gs1
via Today’s News Headlines
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