MBMC finds 8,538 people at high risk

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

The twin-city of Mira Bhayandar is grappling with an epidemic of suspected non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including lifestyle diseases, such as diabeties, hypertension and heart attack. In a startling revelation, as many as 8,538 people are at high risk of NCDs, which have been driven primarily by four major factors, including tobacco consumption, physical inactivity, the harmful effects due to alcohol consumption and unhealthy diets.

In response to government directives, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) health department had launched a citywide survey to collect data and spread awareness about NCDs and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy. In the first phase of the campaign, which ended on October 7, health workers reached out to 2,88,253 people living in 78,019 households, which were tagged as vulnerable and are situated in slum-clusters, tribal hamlets, gaothan and coastal areas of the twin-city.

Apart from 8,538 people, who were found to be falling in the high risk bracket of the NCDs, 185 suspected cancer patients and 1,413 suspected TB cases were also detected. Armed with a targeted health assessment questionnaire, 223 teams, consisting of two members, including auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) and accredited social health activists (ASHA) volunteers, under the supervision of 43 health inspectors, conducted a door-to-door survey to understand the risk factor of an individual.

“The project aims at active surveillance to detect cases rather than wait for people to come to hospitals. The compiled date will be used for further diagnosis and to chalk out an elaborate roadmap for proper treatment,” said Dr Sambhajji Panpatte, the deputy civic chief.