The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 1,232 health camps have been conducted in 203 gram panchayats under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in the first week of its launch, recording a footfall of more than 1,66,000.
More than 33,000 Ayushman cards were created at the camps and over 21,000 physical cards distributed, the ministry said.
Under the initiative, Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries.
The ministry said screening of patients for TB is being carried out for symptoms, sputum testing and by using NAAT machines wherever available.
It said more than 41,000 people have been screened by the end of the first week, as on November 21, and over 4,000 of them were referred to higher public health facilities.
The ministry added that under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA), consent of the patients suffering from TB is being taken for receiving assistance from Nikshay Mitras.
The attendees willing to be Nikshay Mitras are also being provided with on-spot registration, the ministry said, adding that more than 2,500 patients gave consent under the PMTBMBA and more than 1,400 new Nikshay Mitras were registered by the end of the first week.
The ministry said in areas with predominant tribal population, screening of eligible population (up to 40 years of age) is being done for the detection of sickle cell disease through the point of care (PoC) tests for the Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) or through solubility test.
It added the cases testing positive are being referred to higher centres for management.
The ministry further said more than 24,000 people were screened by the end of the first week and 1,100 of them were found to be positive and referred to higher public health facilities.
Besides, around 1,35,000 people were screened for hypertension and diabetes, and more than 10,000 were referred to higher public health facilities, the ministry stated.
In a major initiative aimed at saturating the benefits of the central government schemes across the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra from Jharkhand’s Khunti on November 15.
To facilitate immediate services, various camps are being set up by the departments such as the postal department, health department and others.
The yatra, designed to inform and empower the citizens about the government’s flagship schemes, aims to create awareness and deliver the benefits of welfare programmes directly to the people, the ministry said.
