Under the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases programme launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, four more districts will be included and screening for diabetes and hypertension taken up. The new districts are Karimnagar, Medak, Anantapur, and Visakhapatnam.
Deputy Commissioner, Non-Communicable Diseases, D. Bachani, during a review programme here on Friday, said currently eight districts were covered under the programme and five more districts would be added during 2014 and the remaining districts in the next two years.
In 2010, one hundred districts in 21 States were brought under this pilot project under which the targeted groups were screened. As part of expanding the scope, screening was being done at the primary level, infrastructure developed at NCT Clinics at the grassroots level, cardiac care units at tertiary level, and district cancer care facility set up at the headquarters. During the screening, it was found that out of 1.24 crore people in the eight districts 6.93 per cent had hypertension, 7.2 per cent diabetes.
At these centres, follow-up of chemotherapy would be given, said School Education Regional Joint Director P. Parvathi.
The Lepra India and Mamta Health Institute were implementing another programme to make the Central government scheme more useful by training two school teachers in Prakasam, Krishna, and Nellore districts. The programme, Mamta associate director Ruchi Sogarwal said, was launched about a year ago.
