Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 14: Training cum Review Meeting of the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) was successfully conducted on 14th September 2024 at Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Rakesh Magotra, DirectorHealth Services (DHS), Jammu.
Dr. Harjeet Rai, Epidemiologist and State Surveillance Officer IDSP of Jammu Division, welcomed all the participants and informed aboutthe significance of the NRCP, which aims to prevent and control rabies-related deaths in humans and progressively achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of “Dog-Mediated Rabies-Zero by 2030.” He also emphasized the importance of intersectoral coordination among the medical, veterinary, and municipal sectors to achieve this goal. He highlighted the theme for World Rabies Day 2024, “Breaking the Rabies Boundaries,” stressing the need to remove barriers to rabies prevention and control.
He also elaborated on the current challenges and gaps in Rabies control in the region. He urged all stakeholders to actively participate in creating public awareness, improving surveillance, and strengthening response mechanisms. Furthermore, he called for enhancing collaboration between all relevant sectors to ensure the success of the NRCP and to move closer to the target of zero human deaths from rabies by 2030.
Dr. Rakesh Magotra, Director of Health Services (DHS), Jammu, lauded the efforts of all the participants and emphasized the crucial role of the NRCP in safeguarding public health. He also urged all district health authorities to intensify their efforts in implementing the programme’s guidelines and ensuring the availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins at all health facilities.
Dr. Abdul Hamid Zargar, Medical Superintendent of Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts and stressed that regular training sessions are essential for keeping healthcare workers updated with the latest guidelines and developments to effectively control rabies.
The meeting featured presentations covering the salient aspects and guidelines of the NRCP, including the pathogenesis, clinical features, and prevention of rabies, as well as the animal component of NRCP and the role of the Animal Husbandry Department and municipality in its implementation. The presentations were delivered by several resource persons, including Dr. Anuj Kapoor, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine,Government Medical College, Jammu, Dr. Prem Lata, Medical Officer, Epidemiology Office; Dr. Jaswant Singh, Municipal Veterinary Officer, Municipal Corporation Jammu; and Dr. Sandeep Veterinary Officer. Dr Shehnaz Chowdhary Medical Officer, Epidemiology Officealso gave a detailed presentation on Snake Bite Envenoming.
The meeting was attended byDr. Abdul Hamid Zargar, Medical Superintendent of Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, Dr. Ila Gupta, Assistant Director Schemes; Dr. Kiran Kapoor and Dr. Tariq Parvez, Joint Director ARV RS Pura, District nodal officers of NRCP from the Jammu Division, Block Medical Officers and several Medical officers. |
