And the award for best ‘Swacchta Pakhwada’ initiatives goes to Health Ministry!

New Delhi, October 4: The Health Ministry has been adjudged the best department during ‘Swacchta Pakhwada’, a fortnight-long inter-ministry initiative of Swacch Bharat Mission of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Health Ministry Secretary CK Mishra received the award on behalf of the entire Ministry. 

 

'Swachhta Pakhwada' activities were organised within the ministry offices, in central government hospitals and in public health facilities across 29 states and seven union territories from February 1 to 15 earlier this year. Some of the key contributions include mass awareness generation initiatives through rallies, street plays, painting competitions etc, leveraging the participation and support of public awareness. These activities are considered critical for sustaining the swachhta movement.

 

Doctors, nurses and medical staff along with patients and visitors carried out sensitization drives on the importance of safe sanitation and hygiene. During the Swacchta fortnight, all hospital/clinics were also directed to install waste bins for segregating waste and massive cleaning drives were undertaken in all the hospital wards and hospital premises. Unwanted and old files and records were also weeded out during Swachhta Pakhwada from various Divisions of the Ministry. Health Minister JP Nadda himself personally participated in the various campaigns cleaning the city. 

 

Background: Swachhta Pakhwada started in April 2016 with the objective of bringing a fortnight of intense focus on the issues and practices of Swachhta by engaging GOI ministries/departments in their jurisdictions. An annual calendar is pre-circulated among the ministries to help them plan for the Pakhwada activities. The ministries observing Swachhta Pakhwada are monitored closely using online monitoring system of Swachhta Samiksha where action plans, images, videos related to Swachhta activities are uploaded and shared. For the Pakhwada fortnight, observing ministries are considered as Swachhta Ministries and are expected to bring qualitative Swachhta improvements in their jurisdictions.