The Hindu Business Line : Health Ministry planning policy for IT sector

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is planning to bring out a policy initiative to address occupational health issues in the information technology industry.

Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, on Wednesday said he would soon start discussions with the Ministry of Communications and IT to address areas like alcoholism, smoking, tobacco consumption, and skin disorders, all of which are prevalent among IT industry employees today.

“We fear the burnout of IT industry (employees) in a few years and need to streamline certain practices,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Other initiatives

Mr Ramadoss mentioned other initiatives that the Ministry was working on, including a trauma care and emergency service on the lines of the 911 number system used in the US, and a national school health programme where all children would be screened for a range of medical conditions and given health cards.

The Ministry is also working on a ‘Clinical Establishment Act’ where processes would be put in place to standardise test results obtained from diagnostic labs and clinics.

Dr Ramadoss emphasised the need to promote research in healthcare and said private hospitals must come forward and share their research. This could in turn be used to administer public health programmes.

He also said the Ministry was in talks with the Tamil Nadu government to purchase land for setting up a national school for public health at a cost of about Rs 100 crore. Many such schools are planned across the country.

New centre

Earlier, he inaugurated the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Occupational Health at Sri Ramachandra University, built at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

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