BMC plans early screening to check rising deaths from diabetes, BP in Mumbai

Mumbai’s civic authorities are formulating strategies to screen people in the 30-plus age group living in slums to assess the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes, which have been rising.

A survey conducted to assess the prevalence of NCDs by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the World Health Organization showed unusual numbers for hypertension and diabetes among residents of Mumbai.

“Initial findings have shown us that the hypertension prevalence in Mumbai residents is about 30 percent and for diabetes, it is around 18 percent,” Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer and Mumbai non-communicable disease cell chief, told Moneycontrol.

“This evidence calls for action and hence we have formed a multi-pronged approach for early screening.”

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Early detection

The BMC plans to conduct door-to-door surveys in the slum areas.

“This non-communicable disease screening is for all those above 30 years. The BMC will be doing house-to-house surveys in slum and slum-like areas for those who don’t have proper health access,” Shah said.

She added that more than 3,000 community health volunteers and ASHA workers have been trained for conducting this survey.

“These healthcare workers will screen people living in the slum areas for blood pressure first. Those suspected as per the initial report shall be referred to the nearby dispensary for confirmation,” Shah said.

Follow-ups will be conducted to see whether they have reported to the clinic and have started medication.

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Opportunistic screening

BMC officials are also considering a strategy called opportunistic screening. They plan to introduce NCD corners in 16 hospitals and ward offices to focus on individuals who visit hospitals with their relatives and those waiting for treatment.

“There are many ward offices and hospitals where we will start the NCD corner, where we will do a quick screening of people who are waiting in the queue for treatment of other ailments,” Shah said.

Deaths rising

A document by NGO Praja Foundation on ‘The State of Health in Mumbai’ published in October said lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes have emerged as one of the biggest reasons for deaths in the past few years.

“There is a definite shift in the number of deaths taking place due to non-communicable diseases in Mumbai. The BMC starting this survey is a welcome step as far as public health is concerned,” said Milind Mhsake, CEO of Praja Foundation.

According to the Praja Foundation report, deaths due to diabetes in Mumbai increased six-fold to 16,021 in 2020 from 2,544 in 2015. Deaths due to hypertension rose 33 percent to 5,965 in 2020 from 4,486 in 2015.

Minister of state for health and family welfare Bharti Pawar said in the Lok Sabha that the contribution of NCDs to Disability Adjusted Life Years in India increased to 55.4 percent in 2016 from 30.5 percent in 1990.