SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 19: The Sahibganj district health department has recommended the state headquarters a senior medical officer, Dr Ram Deo Paswan, for the nomination of the Padma Award of 2023-24.
Dr Ram Deo Paswan, a 1990 batch medical officer, is credited with getting three backward districts of Santhal Pargana Division, Godda, Pakur and Sahibganj top in the state health index in three successive years besides bringing down the Kala Azar cases below 0.4.
At present, Dr Ram Deo Paswan is posted at Dumka district Sadar Hospital as a medical officer. The recommendation has been made to the NRHM Director.
Kala Azar cases in the tribal-dominated Sundar Pahadi block of Godda district were the highest in the country ( 11.7 on 10,000 population).
In 2013, Dr Paswan was posted as the medical officer in-charge of Sunder Pahadi Primary Health Centre (PCH). In three years along with team he brought down the cases to 0.4 on 10,000 population.
As per the WHO health index, there should be one Kala Azar case in every 10,000 population. Earlier in 2013, he got appreciation from WHO and Bharat Gaurav Puraskar from an NGO.
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A senior official of the state health department, who informed about this nomination, said that Dr Paswan fulfils all the criteria for a ‘Padma award’ as his field works in backward districts are more than any other candidate.
Impressed by his outstanding performance in Sundar Pahadi block, the state health department made him the civil surgeon of Godda district in 2018-19. Dr Paswan streamlined the health services at the district level and Godda Sadar Hospital was declared the best Sadar Hospital in Jharkhand. Besides that, Sundar Pahadi PHC got the Kayakalp Award as the best PHC in the state.
In 2020 -21, he was given additional charge of Pakur. The district got the Kayakalp Award (best Sadar Hospital among 24 in the state) for providing health services.
In the health index, Sahibganj was a low-performing district in the state. On August 1, 2022, he was made civil surgeon of Sahibganj district. In six months he streamlined the health services of Sadar Hospital so much so that a team of the central government visited Sahibganj (January 4-5) and found it perfect on all parameters. The district got the Kayakalp Award for 2023.
He was the first civil surgeon who launched a boat ambulance in Jharkhand (Sahibganj district).
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