New Delhi, Aug 12
More than 1.11 crore hypertension or blood pressure, and 64 lakh diabetes cases were diagnosed and are actively under treatment from January to June, the government informed on Tuesday.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, shared that nationwide screening and treatment for individuals aged 30+ has been implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM) as a part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC).
"A total of 1,11,83,850 cases of hypertension have been diagnosed and under treatment between January and June, while 64,11,051 cases of diabetes have been diagnosed and under treatment during the same period,†the Minister said.
The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) is a key component of CPHC.
“The Programme focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, screening, early diagnosis, referral, treatment, and health promotion for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including hypertension and diabetes, as per need and proposal from the State and Union Territories. Under the programme, 770 District NCD Clinics, 233 Cardiac Care Units and 6,410 NCD clinics at Community Health Centres have been set up,†Jadhav said.
“Patients diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes under the NP-NCD programme are provided free access to medicines and regular follow-up services at different levels of health facilities,†he added.
While essential drugs for hypertension are available at all levels of care -- Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM), Primary Health Centres (PHCs), and Community Health Centers (CHCs).
Further, monthly follow-ups are also facilitated through the NCD portal, with scheduled visits recorded and medicines dispensed accordingly, and referral mechanisms are in place for patients needing specialised care.
Separately, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a nationwide NCD screening campaign, including hypertension and diabetes, between February and March to achieve universal screening of individuals aged 30 years and above, the MoS said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The numbers are staggering but not surprising given our sedentary lifestyles and junk food culture. Good that free medicines are being provided, but implementation at ground level needs monitoring. My father in village still struggles to get regular BP meds.
Excellent initiative by NHM! Early detection can save so many lives. But we need more awareness campaigns in regional languages. Many people in rural areas don't understand the seriousness of BP and diabetes until it's too late.
As someone working in public health, I appreciate the infrastructure being set up. But the real challenge is ensuring regular follow-ups. Digital portal is good, but what about elderly patients who aren't tech-savvy? Need more community health workers.
Free medicines are great, but what about quality? Many government hospitals give substandard generics. Also, why no mention of yoga and ayurveda in prevention? We're ignoring our traditional knowledge while chasing western medicine solutions.
These numbers are scary 😨 My whole family got screened after reading this. Turns out my mom has borderline diabetes! Thankful for these programs but request government to also regulate food industry - too much sugar and salt in everything!
M Michael C Impressive scale of We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.