30/03/2023
NCD screening and support forms an essential part of Uplift outpatient care offering (OCO).
Organized daily in the slums of Mumbai, Uplift OCO recently saw a 33-year-old patient in Santacruz, who had come in for simple cough, cold and sore throat.
During the general checkup, the Uplift doctor found his blood pressure to be on the higher side (177/115 mmHg). The patient had no history of blood pressure nor had any symptoms related to it. Considering his age he had never gone for a checkup.
After giving the symptomatic treatment and guidance on why it is necessary to keep the blood pressure under control even if there are no symptoms, the Uplift doctor immediately referred the patient to the nearby government health post in Santacruz. Regular follow up with the patient by the Uplift doctor has ensured that the patient is taking the medicines every day.
A WHO report states that about 66 % of the deaths in 2019 in India were caused due to NCD’s and out of this the major contributor was cardiovascular (28%). Affordability, Easy Access and routine follow-up are the three essential parts of NCD management, and the Uplift outpatient care ensures this for low-income households through its mutual health protection programme.
Titiksha Mukherjee, Alka Parikh, Amit Wadkar