CHANDIGARH:  Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues Thursday called for re-structuring its financial management system of Red Crosss Society through a professional approach, to make it a service institution with an expanded reach for the disadvantaged and have nots.

Addressing the State Level 45th Annual General Meeting of Punjab State Red Cross Branch & St. John Ambulance at Raj Bhavan, here, General Rodrigues said that he had set up a committee in 2005, under the Chairmanship of Rajan Kashyap, former Chief Secretary of Punjab and now State Chief Information Commissioner to suggest ways and means for restructuring financial status of the Red Cross, to meet its needs. The high level Committee submitted its report, which recommended the need for professional management of the Red Cross by creating a well-regulated system with a special focus on enlarging the scope of its  services by using technology. It also suggested the need for utilizing the services of financial experts for the generation of revenues and for their judicious use in socially relevant projects. He said that the recommendation of the report has already been sent to the State Government for taking appropriate action.

Advocating the need for strengthening interaction between State Level & District Level Red Cross bodies, General Rodrigues said that the sharing of vision, expertise, knowledge and practical experiences in different fields of endeavour can be of immense help for harmonizing the social welfare work in the State. He said that some District Red Cross Societies are doing an excellent job and following their approach, an improvement in other districts can be brought about.

Noting with concern, the alarming increase in drug addiction, female foeticide, child abuse and maternal mortality rate, General Rodrigues emphasized the need for a mass effort to manage the ill-affects of these social evils. He said that various programmes are already in place and the need is to fully involve ourselves in the implementation process as it is not the question of ‘they’ and ‘we’ but of ‘us’. He suggested the need of a well- established network for monitoring the functioning of the drug de-addiction centers being run in different districts to make them follow the rules, practices and correct procedures while treating the inmates. He said that similarly the Red Cross Volunteers must come forward for checking the unethical practice of female foeticide and child abuse, which are issues of serious societal concern. He said that in Chandigarh, we have started programmes for checking child abuse and to achieve reduction in maternal mortality rate and offered these for coordinating the endeavour to benefit Punjab.

Surg. Cmde. V.K. Puri, Retd., Secretary Red Cross, while presenting Annual Report about the activities and achievements of the Punjab State Red Cross Society said that the Red Cross provided medicines and other amenities to the poor and needy patients and blankets to the deserving persons. For promotion of voluntary blood donation movement in the State, the State Branch arranged 14 blood donation camps and collected 1,1615 units of blood. The District Branches in Punjab organized 260 such camps and collected 9,291 units of blood. 5576 persons donated blood in the hospitals on motivation by Red cross Volunteers and staff. In addition 27,457 units were donated as replacement donations. He said that the organization has made all efforts for generating awareness against drug abuse and narcotics and organising medical check up of students & youth training camps.

General Rodrigues also honoured eminent philanthropists, government officials and social activists who contributed to the Red Cross Movement.

Besides Jean Rodrigues, who attended the meeting including Rajan Kashyap, Chief Information Commissioner of Punjab, R.I. Singh, Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab,  N.S. Kang, Secretary to Governor, Vijay Kain, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare, Jagpal Singh, Secretary, Social Security, Punjab, Deputy Commissioners of various districts, members, representatives of various NGOs participated in the meeting.