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Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
As NCDs continue to burden public health, Chandigarh health dept drive aims 100% screening
Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the mandate is to ensure 100 per cent screening of all 30 years plus population for diseases like diabetes, hypertension, oral, breast and cervical cancers. As early identification and action are vital for prevention, the Health Department of Chandigarh is organising population-based and opportunistic screening for individuals above 30 years of age in the health and wellness centres, and other facilities in Chandigarh, with a major footfall for NCD screening seen at the centres, with free tests, medicines and follow-up. The mass screenings are done as the NCDs are affecting every age group, thereby becoming a major public health concern. 'Apart from NCDs, we also focused on TB and HIV testing. This drive enhanced public awareness and encouraged maximum community outreach, including door-to-door visits of front-line workers to increase coverage,' Dr Suman Singh, director, Health Services, said. The screening target of hypertension and diabetes was 4,51,030, and the screening achievement was 102.76 per cent for hypertension and 102.89 per cent for diabetes. 'As part of the NCD data calculated till now, as many as 49,130 people, which is 10.6 per cent of the target, were diagnosed as hypertensive, and 31,558 or 6.8 per cent were diagnosed diabetic on screening and have been put on treatment,' Singh shared. Diabetes has assumed epidemic proportions, with India now known as the diabetes capital of the world. The risk of diabetes is increasing rapidly, even in young people, with many diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, Dr Ashu Rastogi, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology, PGIMER said. This is unlike Western countries, where diabetes typically manifests after the age of 60. The reasons for this include a genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors like modern-day stress, a sedentary routine, reliance on fast food, and a lack of regular exercise. 'One in every four new diabetes patients is below 40 years of age. Apart from an unhealthy diet, lack of sleep, and inadequate physical activity are also contributing to the high numbers,' Rastogi added. Hypertension (HTN) or high blood pressure, explained Rajesh Vijayvergiya, Department of Cardiology at PGIMER, is a term when the individual's blood pressure is more than 140 mmHg systolic and or more than 90 mmHg diastolic blood pressure. For an adult individual, the blood pressure should be less than 140/90mmHg. 'A high prevalence of HTN in urban populations is because of certain unhealthy lifestyles adopted by urbanites, such as lack of physical activity, obesity, increased salt intake by consuming junk and canned foods, and smoking and alcohol consumption, which increase the prevalence of diabetes and increase stress,' Vijayvergiya highlighted. Most often, HTN does not cause any symptoms and is also known as a silent killer. There are a few symptoms, such as persistent headache, blurring of vision, tiredness, dizziness or spontaneous bleeding from the nose or within the eye, which can suggest underlying high blood pressure. 'Everyone should have his/her blood pressure measured once at the age of 18-20 years, and then to be repeated every 5 years to make an early diagnosis of high blood pressure. Obesity, lack of physical activities/exercise, increased salt and alcohol intake, smoking, high consumption of salt-rich food such as junk and packed foods, pickles, sauces, processed cheese, frozen meals etc, advanced age and genetic susceptibility are a few of the risk factors for HTN,' Vijayvergiya underscored. The expert added that HTN is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, heart failure, brain strokes, lower limb claudication, loss of vision etc. 'To manage HTN, decrease your body weight to achieve a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 kg/m2. Good food habits include low salt intake (less than 5 g/day), stop smoking and alcohol consumption; increase intake of fruits, vegetables and pulses; and avoid salt-rich food,' Vijayvergiya recommended.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Evening OPDs at dispensaries on hold amid Chandigarh admn's silence on budget
The UT health department's plan to start evening outpatient departments (OPDs) at all its civil dispensaries and health and wellness centres across the city remains in limbo in the absence of budget approval by the UT administration. In February, director of health services Dr Suman Singh had confirmed that a ₹13-crore proposal to run the evening OPDs had been sent to the UT administration for budget sanction. However, more than three months have passed and the administration is yet to take a call on the matter. Health secretary Ajay Chagti said, 'The proposal has been submitted to the finance department. We will start the OPDs when it is approved.' Finance secretary Diprava Lakra said he was not aware of any such proposal and refused to comment further. The proposed evening OPDs will operate for six hours, complementing the existing morning shift (8 am to 2 pm) at health and wellness centres. The extended hours will cover three civil dispensaries, 15 Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and 29 health and wellness centres with the aim of providing relief to city residents, daily wagers and those belonging to the working class as they find it difficult to visit doctors during their daytime working hours, especially those living in Dadumajra, Mauli Jagran, Dhanas, Maloya, Manimajra and Industrial Area Phase 1. The services to be offered include general outpatient care for illnesses and minor ailments; primary healthcare, including prenatal and childbirth care, and management of communicable diseases. This expansion follows a previous, limited evening OPD trial at Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, in 2015, which addressed faculty shortages by hiring retired specialists, including orthopaedics, gynaecologists and surgeons, etc. However, this time, the focus is on hiring young MBBS doctors on a consolidated salary basis to staff the evening shifts. The proposal of starting evening OPDs has been making rounds since 2023. Initially, it had targeted five key locations with a high concentration of daily wage earners, aiming to provide accessible healthcare without requiring them to sacrifice their daily income. An estimated budget was prepared for the five locations but was later extended to all the dispensaries.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Be prepared for 24x7 emergency,' UT cancels leaves of medical staff
1 2 Chandigarh: The UT administration on Thursday cancelled all leaves of all medical officers in Chandigarh, instructing them to be ready for 24x7 emergency the order issued for Chandigarh, it was stated that all leaves of all medical officers and staff posted in Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) and Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (UAAMs) were cancelled with immediate effect. They must be ready for duty at any time, 24 hours a called for duty at any time and place, they must report immediately. It is necessary to respond to phone calls immediately; otherwise, strict disciplinary action will be taken, reads the health service, UT, Dr Suman Singh said the nursing superintendents have been instructed to train the staff in handling patients and their attendants in an emergency. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far In wards where there are no curtains, privacy is being ensured by putting up black chart paper. During the mock drill, patients and relatives were prevented from using mobile sets up disaster wardAccording to PGI medical superintendent Prof Vipin Kaushal, they established a disaster ward with a dedicated entrance on the ground floor at Nehru Hospital. Currently, this facility serves general patients while maintaining readiness. The library and chemist shop in PGI have been put on alert. The trauma block was prepared as a makeshift hospital. The pharmacy department was instructed to keep all essential medicines in stock in sufficient quantity. In case of emergency, the entry and exit of vehicles in the hospital premises will be restricted. Instructions for school kidsInstructions were given to children not to gather at the school gate. Chandigarh Police officials reached Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Sector-31 on Thursday and gave safety-related instructions to the school staff and children. The officials clearly stated that at the time of dismissal, all the children should not stand on the balcony and should not gather outside the school gate. The children were asked to go straight to their homes by going out of the main 121001230 413 |
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: 5 yrs on, drug de-addiction centre at GMSH-16 still not operational
Amid the efforts by the UT administration to curb substance abuse, the drug de-addiction and treatment centre in Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, has been non-operational since 2020. The health department has cited the unavailability of a psychiatrist as the reason. The drug de-addiction and treatment centre at GMCH-16, Chandigarh, was launched in 2009. (Ravi Kumar/HT) The centre, opened in 2009, was converted into a Covid-19 facility in 2020. Since then, the department has not been able to recruit a psychiatrist to run the 12-bed indoor residential treatment centre. Notably, the Punjab governor and UT administrator had recently launched 'Drug Free Chandigarh' campaign, and state-level events are being organised to spread the message. Director of health services Dr Suman Singh said, 'There is no psychiatrist to run the centre. We have been advertising a post of psychiatrist time and again, but have not received a single applicant. There are only two psychiatrists in the hospital who have to run the general OPD as well. We need to have a full-time psychiatrist for the centre.' Singh did not mention the exact number of times the post has been advertised. The centre is crucial for local patients to get therapy and treatment at minimal cost with less waiting time. With this facility closed, the patients are left with only two affordable medical facilities--GMCH-32 and PGIMER. The facilities available in private healthcare are costlier. PGIMER, being a tertiary care hospital, largely deals with referral cases from across the northern region, leaving a long waiting time for local patients. After PGIMER, the only government drug de-addiction facility available in the city is in GMCH-32, and it has eight beds in the psychiatry department earmarked for substance abuse patients. The number of such patients is increasing year by year. In GMCH, the number of OPD patients has gone from 3,000 in 2023 to 3,156 in 2024, officials said. In PGIMER, around 27,000 patients visited the OPD in 2024. A former GMSH-16 official, wishing anonymity, said there is a lack of will to operate the centre. 'There used to be two medical officers along with sanctioned staff of one psychiatrist, four nurses and four ward attendants at the centre. Multiple solutions can be opted to start the centre if the department is unable to recruit a single psychiatrist,' the official added.
