A review of the Social Health Responsibility Campaign, an initiative of the Chief Medical Officer office, Kohima in collaboration with District Administration and AKMWP under the theme "Leave no one's health behind: invest in the health system for all" funded by NUHM, Nagaland was held at de-Oriental Hotel, Kohima on 9th June 2022.
Principal Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, and Principal Director, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland, Dr. K. Vikato Kinimi were the special guests of the event.
In his speech, Bhatia congratulated the Kohima team for the successful conduct of the campaign in a short time. He said, the campaign was conducted at the right time because the community lifestyle in urban areas keeps changing as compared to earlier times with easy accessibility of mechanized transport, eating habits with easy availability of imported food items, and lack of exercise, which affects the health in various ways. He said, “for various reasons not only in Nagaland but whole over, we are getting more and more susceptible to pandemic-like diseases. Data of COVID-related deaths have made it clear that we need to know our health status to tackle any situation that may come and affect our health severely”. He, therefore, pointed out that one should focus on prevention, which is the best public health response rather than the treatment part to deal with such situations. He believed that the community and the society were able to achieve some preventive elements through the awareness of this campaign.
Pointing out the treatment part, Bhatia stressed the importance of early detection of any health issues and monitoring the condition on regular basis, and treating with an appropriate medical regime. He also encouraged the gathering to push towards lifestyle changes with the right message and treatment.
Stating that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) are very much prevailing in the society, Bhatia stressed the need to act together at the individual, community, and government levels to ensure that NCD does not become a silent pandemic that would affect the people severely in the long run.
Bhatia said that the government is taking many steps, in addition, to the increase in existing health facilities at rural and urban levels under the central health scheme and state funds to ensure that the people keep getting the right health facility and right health treatment. He informed that the government has undertaken two major initiatives i.e. the Medical College and the launching of the Chief Minister's Health Insurance Scheme for easy access to quality health facilities and with a hope to bring down the expenditure while availing the health facilities during the treatment part.
Dr. Kinimi appreciated and thanked the CMO Office, District Administration, and AKMWP who have committed themselves to screen the whole community of Kohima urban area, and added that it was a good initiative in the history of Nagaland. He said that out of the screening, new hypertension and diabetes cases were also detected who were presently under treatment and encouraged the community to be updated with their health status and to keep their bodies fit. He also requested the NRHM to initiate the same screening campaign all over the district through the medical staff which he hoped would bring a change in the state of Nagaland.
Mission Director NHAK, Dr. Thorusie Katiry spoke on the need to take corrective measures on food habits and lifestyles for hypertension and diabetic patients. He said that medication alone will not be the only solution to the diseases but the involvement of the community in spreading the awareness of health care values concerning health status and good lifestyle practices would highly contribute to a healthy society.
Presenting a PowerPoint on the campaign, CMO Kohima, Dr. Vezokholu Theyo said that with the observation of Universal Health Coverage day on 13th December 2021 under the theme, the Kohima district team had proceeded with the package of screening and comprehensive management of NCD and reflected on two common diseases i.e. hypertension and diabetes mellitus. In this connection, a sensitization programme was held on 15th January 2022 under the chairmanship of the District Health Society, the Deputy Commissioner Kohima along with AKMWP and 19 ward chairmen including 50 colonies, where the house decided to take forward the package to colonies and held a mini health camp for diabetes and hypertension, CMO informed.
Dr. Theyo informed that the campaign was conducted to reduce risk, morbidity & mortality due to hypertension and diabetes, to identify co-morbid disease prevalence in the community, to protect the co-morbid group of people from COVID death should another wave occur as the maximum no. of COVID deaths were people with co-morbidities occurred in the urban area during 1st and 2nd wave.
Highlighting the disease prevalence in the community on the data from the Co-morbid disease mapping/survey, Dr. Theyo informed that 9243 households were surveyed across 42 colonies with 15,100 target people identified (30 yrs and above) where a total number of persons were identified with the following diseases:- 823 persons with hypertension (5.45%), 710 with diabetes (4.70%), 55 with cancer (0.36%), 107 with kidney disease ( 0.71%) and 40 persons with TB (0.3%).
On the outcome of the campaign, Dr. Theyo informed that a total number of 2,429 people have availed free consultation, medicines & diagnostic services. A total of 269 (11.07%) new hypertension cases, 69 (2.84%) new diabetes cases, and 24 (0.98%) new HTN + DM were also detected among the targeted population. The follow up clients recorded hypertension - 265 (10.90%), diabetes- 120 (4.94%) and HTN + DM -79 (3.25%). Dr. Theyo also highlighted the various general observation of the campaign and follow-up suggestions for corrective measures.
Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie, IAS in his closing remarks thanked the CMO Kohima and the medical team for the initiative and the commitment and dedication to the successful conduct of the campaign. He also thanked the AKMWP, Chairmen, and leaders of various wards without whom support the exercise would not have been successful. The DC also noted that the positive outcome of the campaign was important, and should be replicated in the rural areas.
The President of AKMWP, Thejao Sekhose, and Chairman of Ward 11 PWD, Dozholu Tunyi also shared their experiences on the campaign while State Project Officer, NUHM Nagaland, Dr. Puse Liegise delivered the welcome address.
(DPRO Kohima)
