Pondicherry: Health Minister E. Valsaraj told the Territorial Assembly on Monday that the Government proposed to prohibit sale and consumption of carbonated soft drinks and beverages in all Government offices and educational institutions in the Union Territory.

Replying to a debate on Medical, Administration of Justice and Port departments (which concluded on Tuesday) he said members had earlier sought a ban on the artificially flavoured carbonated drinks.

He announced that the Government general hospital, which was already performing free renal transplantation, would set up a Cath lab and provide facilities for angiogram and angioplasty to patients.

The Government was spending Rs 1.04 crore annually for health care services and Government hospitals were performing 15,500 major and 17,000 minor operations on an average annually. The per capita medical expenditure rose to Rs.1,105 during 2005-2006 from Rs.838 during 2001-2002, he said.

Newborn babies would be immunised against Hepatitis B and the scheme would be extended during 2007-2008. Eight lakh children were administered vaccines to prevent attack of `Mumps, Measles and Rubella' during the last year and this would continue, Mr. Valsaraj said. Adolescent girls (12 to 18 years) would be brought under the Rubella vaccine scheme. Pondicherry was the first in implementing the scheme in the country, he claimed.

The Medical Relief Society of the Health Department had provided Rs.1.11 crore during 2005-2006 to 137 patients to enable them take treatment and undergo surgeries for critical ailments in private hospitals. The government proposed to strengthen the fund of the Society by raising contributions from business houses, big institutions and philanthropists.

Mr. Valsaraj said those undergoing renal transplantation would be given `immuno suppressive drugs' free of cost at the government hospital and the cost of the drugs would be Rs. 7,500 a month.

Women belonging to poor families would be sanctioned an assistance of Rs.700 in rural areas and Rs.600 in urban areas at the time of delivery under the Rural Health Mission.

Mr. Valsaraj said the State medical college would commence admission to the MBBS course from 2007-2008. The Mahatma Gandhi Dental Hospital and PG Institute here would provide two seats under the defence quota in PG courses without reducing the quota for local students.

A PG course in Physiotherapy and Pharmacy would be started in the Mother Theresa Institute of Health Sciences. He said doctors engaged on contract basis would be paid a monthly pay of Rs.16,000 against the Rs.12,000 now. Mr. Valsaraj said students sponsored under the government quota for medical courses in private medical colleges here were now getting full reimbursement of their tuition fees from the government. They should, on completion of their courses, compulsorily serve for one year in rural areas in the Union Territory.

A super specialty centre on a 25-acre site would be set up in Karaikal and Rs.1.5 crore lithotripsy equipment installed in the GH here to remove kidney stones without resorting to surgery.

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