Award for puja organisers creating healthy environment

This Durga puja, Indian Medical Association (IMA) is collaborating with a leading private hospital to honour puja committees in the state with 'Swastho Sochetonotay <g data-gr-id="26">Sharod</g> <g data-gr-id="27">Somman</g> 2015', who work to create a healthy environment for locals and revellers.

IMA Bengal unit President Nirmal Majhi said, "In our two-pronged initiative, we will award select puja committees who will make the cut for keeping appropriate medical/first aid arrangement for visitors at their 'mandap' and for not harming the environment while making the pandal and its illumination arrangements." 

"We also wish to organise pandal-hopping for two days for some of those who have been crippled due to loss of memory and have none to look after them," Majhi said.

Also those pandals who have made ramps at their entry and exit points for the differently-abled will be given precedence for the 'IMA-Fortis <g data-gr-id="20">Swasthyo</g> Sochetonotay <g data-gr-id="21">Sharod</g> Samman 2015', instituted jointly by IMA, Bengal unit and Fortis Healthcare group, he said.

"Our aim is to make the poor and elderly ailing persons feel wanted and change the perception that a section of doctors <g data-gr-id="28">are</g> not on the common man's side at their hour of crisis...We want to instill among the 70,000 IMA members all over the state that we are with the poor during the festival", he said.

"The initiative aims to recognise Durga Puja Committees for their active involvement in year-long health related awareness drives," IMA Bengal Honorary Secretary Dr Santanu Sen said.

"We wish to reach out to more puja committees and clubs, who will have to inform us about list of medical events conducted in the last 12 months, medical preventive measures during current year's puja and next year's health plan with budget allocation," Fortis Healthcare Ltd Zonal Director Richa S Debgupta said.