The Medical College Hospital (MCH) here is being developed into a comprehensive tertiary-level diabetes and non-communicable diseases (NCD) care centre under Phase II of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke.
The national NCD control programme was launched in the State in Thiruvananthapuram district in 2007, with the Indian Institute of Diabetes (IID) as the nodal centre.
Top performer
The programme is being successfully carried out in three blocks in the district — Nemom, Vamanapuram and Nedumangad — now and the district had emerged as a top performer at a national-level review last year.
The MCH is being roped in because the national programme is entering the second phase.
The programme will be extended to five more districts of Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram .
“The Union Health Ministry wanted at least one medical college hospital in each State to be made the State focal centre for the NCD control programme, with comprehensive multi-speciality clinics and intensive care units. Thiruvananthapuram MCH will thus get a comprehensive NCD care centre, with a funding of Rs.3.21 crore for the initial year,” a senior Health Department official told The Hindu.
All the formalities are through and the funds will soon be released under the National Rural Health Mission to the MCH Principal. The Joint Director of Medical Education will be the nodal officer for the programme.
Comprehensive clinic
Under the NCD wing at the MCH, a comprehensive clinic with four main specialities like surgery, cardiology, neurology and nephrology apart from general medicine will be run twice a week.
A special ICU for the NCD wing is also being planned in the new out-patient (OP) block at the MCH, under the cardiology wing.
Diabetic foot care
Diabetic foot care is also being taken up as an area requiring specialised management under the NCD wing as loss of limbs or toes due to improper wound management and uncontrolled blood sugar levels is a common problem among diabetes patients.
A special area for diabetic foot management, with necessary equipment and other required facilities, will be set up at the surgical ward at MCH.
Referral centre
For all diabetes patients coming to the MCH as well as those identified with the disease in the periphery under the NCD control programme, the MCH will function as a referral centre when it comes to tertiary-level management.
The IID is already running speciality clinics at Pulayanarkotta with the help of Medical College Hospital faculty.
Specialised affair
With a significant percentage of the population in the State identified to be either diabetics or in the pre-diabetic stage with impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes management has in recent times become a highly specialised affair managed by private hospitals or clinics and often unaffordable to the common man.
It was thus important that as a tertiary care hospital in the public sector, the MCH should be well-equipped to offer comprehensive diabetes management programme, a senior health official said.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the NCD control programme will be extended to cover the coastal belt, including Poonthura, Poovar and Kazhakkoottom
