Cases of hypertension and diabetes exceed malaria and water borne ailments like jaundice, cholera and diarrhoea. An emerging trend of these lifestyle diseases are being recorded in the health camps organised by the civic body.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up over 37 health camps across the city. In all of these centres, a hike in the number of cases of hypertension and diabetes is being recorded. More number of people are being treated for these diseases than typical monsoon ailments.
Strikingly, such cases are coming from the non-affluentsections of society. To reach out to the masses, majority of the health camps are centered at slums dwellings and similar areas.
“There is a visible trend of such lifestyle diseases at the health camps. Most of the cases are of hypertension amongst the people approaching the health camps. Also there are cases where citizens have been detected with high sugar level. They are provided effective treatments for diabetes,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner (health). Usually, in July monsoon ailments such as malaria, jaundice, cholera and diarrhoea rule the roost. However, till July so far, only 2,271 positive cases of malaria have been registered. The figures stood at 3,637 positive cases in June. While in May there were 4,503 cases. In the last three months, the slide positivity rate (SPR) of the malaria has been linearly declining from 3.2 to 1.6. The figures at the same time last year stood at 17,000. And the SPR stood at a high of 8.
The downswing has been also been recorded in case of water borne ailments. Rajul Patel, health committee chairman too maintained that the cases of the waterborne ailments have also stabilised.
Sporadic cases of unfit water samples are seen from Bhendi Bazaar and Kalbadevi. Mhaiskar stated that cases of malaria and waterborne ailments have decreased due to early intervention and strong vector control exercise-- this helped us reduce the parasitic load of the disease.
This peculiar trend of lifestyle disease at health camps contrast with the stereotypeof lifestyle diseases being restricted to affluent class. “Till now it was accepted that diseases like hypertension and diabetes are most prevalent amongst the affluent. But with such cases of these non-communicable diseases being observed in the health camps, we can no longer restrict these to a specific stratum of society. We are rendering medical services for its effective treatment,” added Mhaiskar.
This financial year, the BMC has allotted additional budget for the lifestyle diseases. “The health camps are helping us reach out to the people. From next month, 24 additional dispensaries will cater to lifestyle diseases. This will not only help us tackle the cases at OPD level but also lower admission rate in the hospitals,” Mhaiskar added.
Published: Monday, Jul 25, 2011, Mumbai | Agency: DNA
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up over 37 health camps across the city. In all of these centres, a hike in the number of cases of hypertension and diabetes is being recorded. More number of people are being treated for these diseases than typical monsoon ailments.
Strikingly, such cases are coming from the non-affluentsections of society. To reach out to the masses, majority of the health camps are centered at slums dwellings and similar areas.
“There is a visible trend of such lifestyle diseases at the health camps. Most of the cases are of hypertension amongst the people approaching the health camps. Also there are cases where citizens have been detected with high sugar level. They are provided effective treatments for diabetes,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner (health). Usually, in July monsoon ailments such as malaria, jaundice, cholera and diarrhoea rule the roost. However, till July so far, only 2,271 positive cases of malaria have been registered. The figures stood at 3,637 positive cases in June. While in May there were 4,503 cases. In the last three months, the slide positivity rate (SPR) of the malaria has been linearly declining from 3.2 to 1.6. The figures at the same time last year stood at 17,000. And the SPR stood at a high of 8.
The downswing has been also been recorded in case of water borne ailments. Rajul Patel, health committee chairman too maintained that the cases of the waterborne ailments have also stabilised.
Sporadic cases of unfit water samples are seen from Bhendi Bazaar and Kalbadevi. Mhaiskar stated that cases of malaria and waterborne ailments have decreased due to early intervention and strong vector control exercise-- this helped us reduce the parasitic load of the disease.
This peculiar trend of lifestyle disease at health camps contrast with the stereotypeof lifestyle diseases being restricted to affluent class. “Till now it was accepted that diseases like hypertension and diabetes are most prevalent amongst the affluent. But with such cases of these non-communicable diseases being observed in the health camps, we can no longer restrict these to a specific stratum of society. We are rendering medical services for its effective treatment,” added Mhaiskar.
This financial year, the BMC has allotted additional budget for the lifestyle diseases. “The health camps are helping us reach out to the people. From next month, 24 additional dispensaries will cater to lifestyle diseases. This will not only help us tackle the cases at OPD level but also lower admission rate in the hospitals,” Mhaiskar added.
Published: Monday, Jul 25, 2011, Mumbai | Agency: DNA
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