PUNJAB GOVERNMENT KICK STARTS AN INITIATIVE TO SCREEN 30 PLUS POPULATION FOR COMMON NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Chandigarh, December 16, 2016: Free Annual Preventive Health Checkup initiative that was launched all over Punjab in Community Health Centers by Chief Minister, Punjab. 5354 persons have been examined under this initiative on 10th December. Among these 736 patients of Anemia, 1171 patients of Hypertension and 673 patients of Diabetes were detected and 42 cases of suspected liver disease, 31 cases of Suspected Renal Disease, 6 cases of cancer cervix and 4 of breast cancer were referred to tertiary centers for further management. This was stated here today by Additional Chief Secretary (Health & FW), Punjab Ms. Vini Mahajan. She added that initially already diagnosed patients might have availed of this service, since the programme has been launched just recently. As the awareness among the population about Free Annual Preventive Health Check Up increases, more and more people without any pre-diagnosed disease are likely to come forward for preventive health checkups. Punjab Government launched this major initiative in the public health sector in the form of Free Annual Preventive Health Check Up Programme (FAPHC) for 30 plus citizens of Punjab, who are desirous of getting themselves screened for diseases like Anemia, Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer,Kidney and Liver diseases etc. An expert group led by Dr K K Talwar Advisor Health and Dr Rajesh Kumar HOD School of Public Health PGIMER planned this initiative.