Polluted air, unhygienic eateries, all the uncleared garbage attracting mosquitoes: the health issues in the city are many. Added to this, welfare schemes fail to reach the beneficiaries? What can be done to address these? Can Bengaluru become a healthy city ever?
Put forth your concerns to our experts - Mahamood Shariff, Research Officer, National Vector Borne Disease Control programme, under Directorate of Health and Family Welfare and Services, Karnataka, Dr. Dr. Rajesh, gastroenterologist and Dr. Thriveni, Public Health Expert, Institute of Public Health.
Reader: What are the main reasons for Bengaluru turning into an unhealthy city?
Mahamood Shariff: Garbage, pollution, construction works and migration
Thriveni BS: There are multiple reasons for Bengaluru to be an unhealthy city...one is the issue of solid waste management or garbage leading to multiple issues from lung infection to diarrial dieases. Secondly pollution from industry to the vehicles....leading to increase in the cases of asthma and respiratory infection....thirdly overcrowded living habitat with less or no ventilations.
Dr. Rajesh: I agree with Dr. Thriveni - urbanization and its effects
Priya: Isn't those piles of garbage lying on the roads responsible for dengue and other cases of vector borne diseases? Why arent health experts rising their voice against this?
Mahamood Shariff: we are in touch with the BBMP officials for it and the public has to co-oprate with the officials
Shankar : We have government announcing numerous health schemes, especially for the urban poor? But are they really needed or helpful. Most of the beneficiaries dont even know about the schemes
Dr Thriveni BS: Shankar ...i tend to agree with you to some extent....i work with the community in slums and what i see is the health schemes are for sure needed but there must be an effective mechanisms to make it reach the poorest of the poor
Dr. Rajesh : In the government hospitals, we have now state of the art technology and good doctors. Examples being Jayadeva hospital, NIMHANS, PMSSY where we are treating many poor patients.
Guest: Air pollution is main cause of asthma and other breathing problems. And this is beacuse of the number of vehicles. What can be done to check this?
Dr. Rajesh: With the metro coming up fast, the traffic pollution is expected to come down.
Guest: Another problem is the lack of regulations regarding the sale of antibiotics. Druggists continue to give out antibiotics to people without a doctor's prescription?
Dr. Rajesh : I agree that the pharmacists provide drugs especially antibiotics - which were not necessary or some times dangerous to the patients. that issue needs to be controlled
Guest: Govt hospitals may be having good doctors and facilities but what about the availability of basic medicines? Most of the times patients are asked to buy from outside...
Dr. Rajesh: I think one reason is that people are unaware of the facilities. I think it is matter of time that people will trust the government facilities.
Shama: If people are forced to buy from outside what is the use of so much spending on health by the Government? cant there be a system wherein no patient in a govt hospital is given a precsription to buy from outside?
Dr. Rajesh: With the autonomous institutions coming up in the city, the stock issues will be resolved
Vinay: What about open drainage systems in many parts of the city? It also contributes to the city's unhealthy image right?
Shalini: No matter whatever subsidies are provided, unless the patients are treated and provided medicines that are supposed to be free in govt hospitals, the image of govt hospitals cannot get a uplift
Yusuf: Are the pharmacists qualified. Its mandatory for the person dispensing medicines to have a pharma diploma or something right
Dr. Rajesh: The drug control regulatory board is responsible and will handle this issues. Already there are measures taken for some drugs (strict control) and i agree it should be applied even to antibiotics
Dr Thriveni BS: There are some rules and regulations to see selected medicines from stopping to sell over the counter, we need strict law and better enforcement to control and public awareness becomes veryy important part to stop this
Shalini: Mosquito breeding has to be checked in all seasons right Dr Sharief?
Mahamood Shariff: Health education regarding personnel protection from mosquitoes and proper disposal of waste and laws for construction builders for storage of water and filling of vacant posts of health officers
Manu: Bengaluru's air pollution is the worst and studies show that it is also the asthama capital. How do we check this?
Mahamood Shariff: The breading of mosquitoes is mainly a problem during the month of june july august and september due to rain water collection in bengaluru
Manu : Most govt hospitals have some of the best doctors and latest equipment.. but we don't have trained technicians and the equipment is lying unused for years..How do we set right this problem?
Dr. Rajesh: Health facilities run in 3 tiers - primary health care, secondary and tertiary care.
Bangalore has good tertiary care hospitals, decent secondary hospitals. We need to bosot the primary care centers..
Dr Thriveni BS: Manu I do agree that govt should appoint more trained para medical staffs for now with the limited resources govt is proving care and to improve all thre level of care both Centre and state govt budget for health has to increase. India has one of the lowest budget for health among many south Asian states
Mahamood Shariff: Inspite of taking all precautions there are cases of dengue in begaluru because of water collection and improper storage of water by construction workers and in some areas improper waste disposal mainly solid waste
Guest : I think it also peoples' responsibility to ensure their surroundings are clean. This would reduce so many diseases. What is the government doing about spreading awareness?
Dr Thriveni BS: Guest-- I tend to agree....we have imitated solid waste management program at the household levels in KG Halli as a pilot project to understand the difficulties faced by families to follow the system of segregate we reaized people are not just aware of segregation and they are concern is mainly cleanliness inside house, not much about out side, it does not affect them at all
Dr. Rajesh: government needs to work towards establishing a good primary health care system and then referral to the higher centers.
Reshma : Every dengue season hospitals are flooded with patients and some of them turn critical. yet the govt denies the numbers are increasing? why cant the health authorities accept the numbers are more and initiate measures to set the problem right?
Mahamood Shariff: Health eduction to the public is the need of the hour regarding vector borne diseases and the health workers are in to it
Vivek M: Living in Bangalore is very stressful with traffic jams and fast living, and with changing lifestyle, more people are getting diabetes and cholesterol. How to stay healthy?
Dr Thriveni BS: Vivek u hit the nail. People see dengue, malaria as serious problem but diabetes, hypertension, mental illness is causing more harm to the families in long term than dengue...one in 2 people above 40 are not aware that they have diabetes and they get into complications of kidney failure at an early age.....best way to prevent is healthy eating and regular physical,exercise and stres free life
Dr Thriveni BS: There are more deaths due to diabetes I think more than 50% of death is attributed to diabetes related death and we are still talking about primary care or communicable diseases...we have huge challenge in the years to come to address non communicable illness
Dr. Rajesh: Mr. Sami, Follow healthy diet and regular exercise. I agree its quite difficult to take healthy regular diet with the fast paced bangalore life. But stick to good food and exercise, your tummy will be fine
Guest: Is our health spending enough? Don't we need more budgetary allocation for health?
Mahamood Shariff: We require 5 to 7 percent of our budget for health
Dr Thriveni BS: Guest- I did mention that earlier when we were taking about primary care yes of course we do need more health budget ... I feel,it's time people demand for that if not only those who can afford will get the health care
Health care can't be a choice it is a requirement and right
