RNT Medical College set to be tobacco-free

Udaipur: RNT Medical College and Hospital, the largest medical facility in South Rajasthan, is likely to be declared a 'no tobacco' zone on August 15. The move will ban the use of tobacco products on the campus. Students, faculty, staff, administrators and guests will be subject to the ban.
The college authorities have successfully completed an anti-tobacco drive that went on for nearly 18 months.A core committee is coordinating with various departments to make a detailed progress note on the anti-tobacco campaign and would submit its review report soon.
"As part of our efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene of the hospital, we have decided to ban use of tobacco inside the hospital which will be applicable not only to visitors and attendants of patients but also to all staff, including doctors who are in the habit of consuming tobacco in any form," D P Singh, principal of the college, said. As a part of the drive, the authorities have seized around 600kg of tobacco products during the past few months. "These products would be given to the bio-medical waste plant to be destroyed," Singh said.
Those who are found smoking or consuming tobacco products are being taken to the anti-tobacco clinic here and counselled about the ill-effects on the body through demonstrative materials. The nursing students too were involved in the campaign who contacted more than 700 persons and seized bidi, cigarette, gutkha pouches, match box and even chillams from them.
Of these, 459 people consented to quit tobacco after receiving counselling. "There are five nursing teams to regularly monitor the progress in various wards at the associated hospitals. People who do not heed to the counselling are taken in the OPD for extended medical care. Separate registers are being maintained in each ward," Singh added.