Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 1203/17

WORLD SOIL DAY, 2017 OBSERVED

As part of the observance of World Soil Day, the office of the Research Officer, East Khasi Hills, Department of Agriculture, Meghalaya today organized a programme under the theme: “Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground”, at the District and Local Research Station and Laboratories, Shillong. Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Agriculture Department, Shri P. S. Kumar and Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Agriculture Department, Smti M. N. Nampui graced the inaugural programme as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively. Congratulating the farmers for their hardwork and dedication, the Chief Guest, Shri P. S. Kumar said that farmers are the backbone of development in the State. He informed about the interventions that are being taken up in various areas to address issues faced by the farmers of the State, which include zero budget farming where farmers would not only get benefit from farming but would also help in the promotion of sustainable livelihood. He also informed that the helpline toll free number 1917 and the agri-response call centre will be set up to help the farmers put forward their complaints and grievances and also for other farming related queries. Shri Kumar further informed the gathering that interventions are also being taken up to have direct market linkages which will connect the farmers directly to the buyers and also about the transportation facilities with the likes of OLA and UBER to transport the produce to the market, which will not only cut down the transportation costs but will also help farmers to have a sustainable livelihood. Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Agriculture Department, Smti M. N. Nampui in her speech as the Guest of Honour expressed hope that the deliberations by the experts at the Technical Session will enlighten the farmers on the significance of soil health and the correct usage of fertilizers. This, she said, will not only be beneficial for maintaining the overall health of the consumers but will also bring about a new trend to farming. During the programme, the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour also distributed Soil Health Cards to the farmers of the East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi Districts. Later in the programme, Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Agriculture Department, Smti M. N. Nampui inaugurated the Mini Micro-Biological Laboratory in the office premises.

Press Release No. 1204/17

DRUG AND VACCINE DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM APPLICATION LAUNCHED

Exhorting upon the health functionaries to put in their dedicated efforts to provide better services to the patients, the Additional Chief Secretary, in charge Health and Family Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, Shri. P W Ingty today launched e-Aushadhi, a web based supply chain management application at Yojana Bhawan, Main Secretariat, Shillong. This function was organised by NHM, Meghalaya. e-Aushadhi prepared and customised by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Ministry of Commerce and Information Technology, Government of India. e-Aushadhi shall help Directorate of Health Services to improve drug warehousing and supply chain management in all government hospitals in the State. Directorate of Health Services would ensure procurement of quality drugs and other hospital supplies on affordable prices. e-Aushadhi was developed with the object of procurement, testing, stocking and distributing quality drugs, medicine, equipment and associated items on affordable price. Directorate of Health Services had approached C-DAC Government of India to customise the application software for implementing e-Aushadhi (Drug and Vaccine Distribution Management System-DVDMS) so as to achieve the prime objective of the Directorate of Health Services which is “Zero Tolerance- Quality Control” and to incorporate accuracy and transparency in tendering, procurement, warehousing and distribution of quality medicines, fluids, surgical, sutures, machinery and equipments etc.

e-Aushadhi is a web based supply chain management application that deals with purchase, inventory management and distribution to various district warehouses of State, District Hospitals and their sub-stores like Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) to distribute drugs to patients, the final consumers of the supply chain. On the occasion, the Additional Chief Secretary also released the user manual on DVDMS. The Mission Director, NHM, Director (Medical and Institution), Director (MCH&FW) cum Joint Mission Director (NHM, Director (research), Additional Director (MCH&FW), Joint Director’s, Deputy Director’s, NHM Officials, Dr. K S Selva Kumar, Cenre Head, C-DAC, Silchar, Shri. Ranjan Yenhkom, Principal Technical Officer Cum Project –in-charge, C-DAC Silchar and representatives of C-DAC were present at the launch ceremony.