Prescibe generic medicine to patients: HP Health Minister

Shimla: Doctors in Himachal Pradesh were directed by the government to prescribe generic drugs to patients and those prescribing branded medicines would face action.

Health and Family Welfare Minister of Himachal Pradesh Kaul Singh Thakur also called on all sections of the society to join hands to create awareness about tobacco use and said NGOs and Panchayati Raj institutions can play an effective role in this direction.

Claiming the state to be the first smoke-free region among the larger states in the country, he said state government was taking effective steps to control use of tobacco including ban on the sale of single cigarette and suggested complete ban on the sale of tobacco near educational institutions.

Addressing the concluding session of Orientation and Capacity Building Workshop organised under National Tobacco Control Programme, Thakur said some of the initiatives of the state were being replicated by other states as well and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has also appreciated the efforts of the state government which received the WHO SEARO Award for tobacco control.

"There is effective government-NGO partnership in Himachal for tobacco control which has emerged as one of the best models in the country," the minister said.

He said that 7500 Asha Workers and PRIs representatives were imparted training for generating awareness about tobacco control in the State.