Source : The Hindu Date : 18.06.2009
1,000 health camps planned
Staff Reporter
— Photo: M. Vedhan
HEALTH WATCH: A woman being examined by a doctor at the camp held in Vepery on Wednesday.
CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation will conduct 1,000 health camps this year to provide medical care to five lakh families of the city, Mayor M. Subramanian said on Wednesday.
Launching a ‘Varummun Kappom’ health camp at the Periyamedu Primary Health Centre, he said 100 camps targeting slum-dwellers would be held in the 10 Corporation zones.
Various tests including those for diabetes, tuberculosis and malaria and blood grouping and blood pressure would be conducted at the camps to be held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, he added.
Mr. Subramanian urged members of the public to utilise the camps to monitor diseases. Over 1.5 lakh people benefited from 40 such camps organised last year.
A total of 1,428 families and 5,400 members were screened at the camps held in all the zones on Wednesday. At the end of the day, 12 persons were diagnosed with malaria, 75 with cataract, 181 with diabetes, 18 women with cancer and 36 with blood pressure. Medicines worth Rs.1.25 lakh were distributed to those who attended.
At a camp in Guindy North, residents of the nearby Housing Board tenements of Kothwalchavady participated. M.Kalaivani Mahalingam, who works as a housemaid, said she came there as she could not afford treatment in private hospitals. Many people had preferred to give up a day’s pay to attend the camps.
Pushpa and Yesu, parents of Chelsea and Akshaya, came to the camp to find a solution for Akshaya’s repeated spells of fever. “We had taken her to private hospitals but the fever keeps recurring . So we thought we could come here and have a check-up,” said Ms. Pushpa.
Shyamalavalli of Reddy Street in Ikkattuthangal said she underwent various tests and was given tablets for blood pressure, ulcer and also a fatty liver. Sangeetha, who attended the camp at the Basin Bridge PHC, said doctors conducted thorough investigations and advised her to keep the family health book carefully as it contained the health history of her family.
Specialists, including those in ENT, dermatology, ophthalmology, and dentistry, conducted the check-up. Dr. Prabhakar, medical officer of Zone 9, said that chronic smokers and alcoholics were told to quit the habits and referred to the Corporation Clinic in Saidapet.