THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Health Minister Adoor Prakash has announced a comprehensive health plan for the state as there is a humongous increase in the case of non-communicable lifestyle diseases and re-emergence of several infectious diseases in the recent past. The comprehensive health plan will have two components - one for infectious diseases and other for lifestyle diseases. The one for lifestyle diseases will be implemented from January 15 this year, which is expected to bring down the incidence of lifestyle diseases by half. ‘’Once the patients with lifestyle diseases are screened and identified, treatment through primary health centres will be offered free of cost. An amount of Rs 25 crore has been set apart for this for the year 2012. We are also planning to make at least one hospital in a block panchayat a speciality hospital,’’ Adoor Prakash told reporters here on Monday. As many as one lakh awareness classes in households, health sabhas in about 15,000 wards, health meets in 1000 panchayats, lifestyle clinics in about 5,443 sub-centres, distribution of medicines against hypertension and diabetes to 50 lakh patients, appointment of 1000 lab technicians for the purpose and identification of high risk patients and reducing the disease risk by adjusting lifestyle are some of the major initiatives. To fight the infectious diseases, a time-bound three-phase plan is being implemented by the State Government. The first phase from January 15 to March 15, a period just before the outbreak of epidemics, will be devoted for vector control, especially that of mosquito. Local bodies and residents’ associations will be part of this campaign which will focus on mosquito eradication, waste disposal, awareness and ensuring public participation in the whole process. The second phase from May 15 to July 31 will focus on prevention of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and mosquito borne diseases such as dengue fever and chikunguniya. Chlorination and superchlorination of drinking water resources and prevention and treatment of affected patients will be the major programmes. The third phase from September 1 to October 31 will be for the prevention of epidemics such as rat fever and malaria by screening of migrant workers, prevention of malaria-spreading mosquitoes, giving importance to solid waste treatment etc. A meeting of District Panchayat presidents and Mayors of all the Corporations was held at the Government Guest House to work out the implementation process of the comprehensive health and sanitation plan. Such a plan implemented in Alappuzha on a pilot mode was found to be successful and now it will be replicated in all the other 13 districts of the state, the Minister said. Awareness campaigns will be held in all panchayats.
Comments
0 comment