Chennai: The Tamil Nadu health department will provide family health cards to everyone listing their names, age, occupation, health profile, and treatment undertaken, it was announced on Sunday.
State Health Minister Ma Subramanian, in a statement, said that the scheme will be part of the ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvum’ scheme under which people are treated for diabetes and hypertension at their doorsteps. The scheme also includes providing dialysis kits, physiotherapy, and palliative care for the patients at their doorsteps.
There are 5.98 crore adults in Tamil Nadu and 4.48 crore people have been screened and found that 33 lakh people have hypertension, 23.1 lakh people have diabetes, and 16.8 lakh people have a combination of both. The statement said that 3 lakh people have received palliative care and 6 lakh received physiotherapy.
A model family booklet on health that has been distributed by the Greater Chennai Corporation to some areas will be extended across the city as well as the state.
The civic body has screened people for ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer(oral, breast, and cervix), mental health, pulmonary diseases, tuberculosis, chronic kidney ailments, and leprosy. The health department said that follow-up care is also entered in the booklet.
The state Health Department is aiming to create a profile and estimate of diseases in the state and the health status of the people to rework the strategies of the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme.
–IANS