Kerala Tourism | NRHM | Lifestyle clinics in Kerala

NRHM to launch Lifestyle clinics in Kerala to improve state health parameters.

Kerala State NRHM, Lifestyle clinics in Kerala, National Rural Health Mission, NRHM, polyclinics, Primary Health Centre

With the increase in the number of lifestyle disorder, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) - Kerala would be rolling out lifestyle clinics across the State to provide easy access to medical treatment.

With these clinics based at the sub-centre level of a Primary Health Centre, the entire State is targeted to be covered by the clinics that will have follow-up programmes every week.

A checklist would be maintained at the sub-centre of people above 30 years and their family history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiac ailments or other diseases. A daily register would be maintained about the number of people approaching the clinic and the types of diseases.

Kerala State NRHM has earmarked Rs. 2 crore for non-communicable diseases. The sum would be disbursed to each district as and when the clinics are set up and equipment for basic blood tests are to be bought, said K. M. Seena, social development consultant of NRHM.

Medical camps will be held by sub-centres, which will register the people coming in for screening. Those identified with lifestyle diseases would be counselled about disease management, preventive medicine and would be provided medicines if needed.

Lifestyle clinics are expected to begin this month in the Ernakulam district, said K. V. Beena, district programme manager, NRHM. The three polyclinics at Kalamassery, Kadayiruppu and Ezhikkara that had begun in the district would start functioning again as the doctors are back after the strike.

The NRHM has put rural public health care firmly on the agenda, and is on the right track with the institutional changes it has wrought within the health system.