PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh has said that the national human papilloma virus (HPV) immunisation programme is a sensitive and farsighted initiative for the safety of health of daughters of the country.
He said that daughters are the future of the nation and healthy women constitute the backbone of the family and society.
He was addressing a programme at the District Hospital in Dehradun on Saturday. The programme was organised to mark the inauguration of the immunisation programme against cervical cancer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the programme in Ajmer of Rajasthan.
Expressing gratitude to PM Modi, the governor said that the HPV immunisation is a strong commitment towards ensuring good health for women which will play an important role in preventing a disease like cervical cancer. He said that the Government of India has initiated the vaccination mission on a large scale. The governor expressed confidence that the initiative will usher in a positive change in the field of female health in the country. He exhorted the people to take active part in the programme at the Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres.
In the first phase 155 HPV immunisation centres have been identified in the State. In these centres the eligible girls of 14 years of age will be administered the HPV vaccine on the basis of scientific evidence.
In the programme quadrivalent HPV vaccine will be used which provides safety from four variants of the HPV virus. In the private hospitals this vaccine is available at Rs 4,000 per dose but in government immunisation centres this will be administered free of cost.
Health minister Dhan Singh Rawat, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, MLA Khajan Dass, Health secretary Sachin Kurve, mission director of NHM Manuj Goyal and others attended the programme.
