AGARTALA, July 17 (TIWN): Tripura's bureaucracy certainly know the secret to bag tall prizes based on Govt reports but not ground reality. Tripura has won appreciation in the country for its works in health sector and won the second prize. The prize was awarded at 'National Summit on Best Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare system in India' at Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on July 2 this year, said health official sources on Thursday.

Detailing the basis of the award the official said that state had won the prize for commendable work under the state health department.

State has received the second prize in categories of surgical services to the identified children here in   state and for camp based approaches for other such services, said official.

The official added, under the camp based approaches state government on its drive had identified at least 44 children with heart diseases, leprosy patients and other diseases where the surgeons and health experts were brought from abroad and carried successive reconstructive surgeries.

However, State Health Secretary M. Nagaraju could not attend the award function held at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, for some unknown reason.

Nagaraju congratulated the health officials for the hard work which won award for the state. The 3-day National Summit is being organized by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with support from the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Himachal Pradesh.

The official also informed that state health department is all set to introduce Tele-Radiology for the first of its kind at GB Pant Hospital. “The Project would be started soon and has already been approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Department,” official added.

He explained in such tele facilities reports of x-rays and others can be easily diagnosed by doctors through online.

Tripura had also opened Tele-Medicine Project approved by the Ministry here at Agartala GB Pant hospital by specialist doctors which are made available at the hospital every day, official said.

Department had also opened Tele-Ophthalmology, also being approved by the central government. It has its 42 centers across the state.

The official said, these all facilities are available now which function very smoothly, with an aim to facilitate the patients and the doctors.   

The Health Minister gave away awards to best practices from various states. The award for maternal health outcomes was given away to Maharashtra followed by Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.

In the category of Newborn Survival, Kerala bagged the first prize, while the second and third were given away to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.   

Guidelines prepared by the Union Ministry for Health & Family Welfare for the Rogi Kalyan Samitis functioning in the states and for disbursal of free drugs in states, were also released during the award giving ceremony.