Lifestyle diseases: BMC centres screen over 14K people

As per data obtained by The Indian Express, on a daily basis, the NCD centres are witnessing footfall of 730 people. Of the total screened patients, 8,378 were men and the remaining 6,124 women. Of them, 1,926 or 13.2 per cent were suspected to be suffering from hypertension. Another 1,687 or 11.6 per cent were detected with suspected mellitus diabetes. “It is on a voluntary basis where the kin of patients or outsiders can approach the centres directly and undergo the screening. We do random sugar tests and blood pressure. If we find the readings are more than the cut-off mark, we refer them to undergo further tests,” said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer, BMC. “This is helping us to detect more number of pre-diabetic patients at an early stage,” she added.

However, tracking back the referred patients with their advised test reports is a challenge which is why the civic body is lacking the data of confirmed cases. “Just depending on a random blood test and one-time blood pressure measurement, we can’t just start their medications. For reconfirmation, they need to undergo tests while fasting and after food,” said a doctor at one of the centres.