HUBBALLI: Usually doctors issue prescription for medicines to patients while bankers issue counterfoils to their customers. But in
Koppal, doctors and bankers are issuing chits containing awareness messages on voting.
Koppal ZP CEO Venkat Raja told STOI, "Like everywhere, voting percentage is lesser in urban areas compared to rural areas. So we decided to reach out to them personally with a rubber stamp reminding them to vote on May 12. As of now we have prepared about 300 rubber stamps and distributed them to hospitals, post offices and banks."
District Health Officer Dr Ramakrishna H said Koppal district has 60 government hospitals including primary health centres, community health centres, taluk hospitals and district hospitals. "We have also involved about 25 major private hospitals of the district in this campaign. The district administration has provided 60 rubber stamps and we are getting rubber stamps made for the remaining hospitals. We have instruc ted all doctors to put this rubber stamp on all prescription chits either on the rear or wherever space is available. Doctors will also convince patients to franchise their vote on May 12," he said.
District Surgeon Dr
Suresh Babu Danareddi said, "There is no practice of issuing prescription chits in government hospitals. So, we are using this stamp on
OPD slips, which contain the name, age, gender, place of patients. As this slip will remain with the patients, it's a type of reminder for them. We will spread awareness among 500-600 patients per day who come as outpatients. We will also put this stamp in discharge summary of in-patients, whose number is about 40 a day."
District lead bank manager Baburao Borale said the administration has provided rubber stamps to the main branc hes of all banks. "Though it's not mandatory for bankers, we are doing it as part of a social initiative to create awareness on voting. Bankers are putting this stamp on counterfoils and all other letters and documents communicated with the public and other offices," he added.
Welcoming the initiative,
Mahantesh Mallanagoudar, a retired principal, said that voting is key process of democracy. "The district administration is finding innovative ways to attract more and more voters. Even we are getting letters containing awareness messages. Hope this time, the urban population turns up at polling booths on May 12," he added.
