India News | Screening Drive for Non-communicable Diseases in Punjab

Chandigarh, Feb 20 (PTI) Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Thursday launched a screening drive for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the state.

Under the drive, Singh informed that people over 30 years are being targeted for common NCDs including diabetes, hypertension and three common cancers -- oral, breast, and cervical.

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Screening for these common NCDs and cancers is an integral part of service delivery under the National Programme for Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, he said in a statement here.

The screening will be done at Primary Health Centres, 'Aam Aadmi Clinics', Ayushman Arogya Kendras, Community Health Centres, district Hospitals, sub-division hospitals in both rural and urban areas, he added.

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The minister said the inauguration is in concurrence with the nationwide launch of the screening programme targeting individuals aged 30 and above, focusing on early detection of common NCDs through population-based screening at primary healthcare facilities. The campaign will end on March 31.

During the launch at Saini Majra village in SAS Nagar, Singh said the aim of the special campaign is to ensure the well-being of the citizens by conducting screening for early diagnosis and ensuring timely treatment of non-communicable diseases.

He emphasised that non-communicable diseases are generally long-term diseases that take time to recover, and continuous and timely screening of such diseases is very crucial.

He also highlighted the need for accurate data collection, ensuring detailed online records of all screened patients to monitor disease prevalence and tailor interventions effectively.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)