Stepping up its campaign to lower the burden of non-communicable diseases, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been conducting free health check-up camps at Ramlila functions in the Capital.
Under the Swasth Chetna Evam Jan Sahyog Abhiyaan (SCEJSA), the Ministry is reaching out to people with the message ‘prevention is better than cure’. Visitors to these cultural programmes are not only being screened for disorders and ailments, but also being advised on how to prevent lifestyle disorders such as diabetes and hypertension.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan who visited these camps on Wednesday said: “This is one of the ways a social movement around health should ideally work. We are finalising a broader strategy which will be discussed with the health secretaries of the States on October 9. The gains from SCEJSA in terms of experience would serve as inputs for modelling a nation-wide health movement involving all stakeholders.”
According to a senior official of the Ministry, these camps set up in five Ramlila Grounds and at a Durga Puja Mandap in C.R. Park are part of the Centre’s initiative to create awareness. “The burden of non-communicable diseases can be considerable reduced if people make the right choices. There is also a need to create awareness about early detection, for example if cancer is detected at an early stage, the chance of recovery is higher,” said the official.
Twenty-six doctors, 90 paramedics and more than 200 volunteers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and various Delhi Government hospitals have been deployed at these SCEJSA camps.
There are facilities for free tests for blood pressure, blood glucose (random), and body-mass index tests and referrals for people who need further treatment. “Doctor support is being provided for those needing treatment. If anybody requires referral to a government hospital the volunteers will facilitate the process. There are also facilities for Liver Function and Kidney Function tests at these camps,” said the official.
