Port Blair, July 11: The UT level function of the World Population Day is celebrated on 11th July 2012 at 10.30 AM in the Auditorium of the G.B. Pant Hospital, Port Blair with the theme of “Khushhali Ka Adhar: Chhota Parivar” by the Directorate of Health Services in association with UTHM. More than 300 persons especially ladies from different walks of life participated in the programme. The Social Welfare Department and ICDS, NGOs like Yuva Sakthi and others actively participated for creating awareness on small family happy family.
Smti. Ratna Kannan, Chairperson, Social Welfare Advisory Board, Port Blair was the chief guest on the occasion. In her speech, she has emphasized on the benefits of small family as resources can be better utilized when family is small. She also urged to all to love girl child and avoid female foeticide as girls are equal to boys in all respect.
Dr.S.K.Paul, Director of Health Services in his welcome address spoke on the importance of population stabilization and also told the para medical workers / supervisors of the Health Department to create more awareness on family planning methods among the eligible couples so that they seek the family planning services at nearest health centre. At present the population of the World is around seven billion and India reached approximately 121 crores from 36 crores in 1952, when the National Family Planning Programme was started with the objective to reduce birth rate. The present census (2011) has shown the addition of a further 18 crores to the population, and India is the second most populous country in the World and at the current rate of growth the population of India is expected to cross that of the China by the year 2030.
Dr.R. Thulasi Dasan, Deputy Director (FW&HE) / Joint Secretary (RCH-II) in his concluding speech made emphasis on the importance of the observation of population stabilization fortnight from 11th to 24th July 2012. During this period, various programmes were arranged to create awareness on small family happy family among all the school and college children of this Territory, awareness camps with mini exhibition in all the Panchayats and all Health Institutions. On the occasion of World Population Day, a Sterilization Camp was held in CHC Diglipur where 285 laparoscopic ligation cases were done by Dr.Arun K.Unnithan and team. Finally vote of thanks was proposed by Dr.R.Thulasi Dasan.
