The second round of non-communicable disease (NCD) screening, which began in August last year, has covered around 82 lakh persons in Telangana so far. Individuals aged above 30 years are being screened for hypertension (high BP) and diabetes for early detection and management of NCDs.
In the first round of screening conducted between 2018 to March 2020, around 1.30 crore persons were covered. Of them, 12.96 lakh people were detected with hypertension, and 5.94 lakh were found to have diabetes.
In the initial phase, Accredited Social Health Activists assess a person’s risk of having hypertension and diabetes. If one is suspected of having the NCDs, they are sent to Sub Centres for tests. Following detection of high BP or diabetes in the tests, they are sent to Primary Health Centres where Medical Officers conduct confirmation tests. Those found to have the diseases are prescribed medicines.
It was learnt that a World Health Organisation (WHO) team of cardiovascular health officers as part of India Hypertension Control Initiative are offering technical support for the NCD screening.
Recently, Health Minister T. Harish Rao launched NCD Medicine kits which have three pouches of different colours — black, red and brown — with the labels ‘Morning, Udayam’, ‘Afternoon Madhyanam’, and ‘Evening Sayankalam’, stating the time of the day the medicines have to be taken. Prescribed medicines are placed in these kits, and refilled every month. This helps in adhering to medication.
Senior health officials have said that the screening and medicine distribution has helped in keeping hypertension under control in around 60% of people detected with the disease.
The officials added that hypertension is a ‘silent killer’ as people dismiss its symptoms as general weakness, allowing the disease to damage the body. They have urged every one above 30 years to get checked for hypertension and diabetes, at least once a year.
