PMC to hold non-communicable diseases survey in city’s 42 slums

Civic body will locate COVID-19 vulnerable groups in joint effort with the NGO SCHOOL

While people with underlying non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are at high risk of developing severe and even fatal COVID-19, in a move to reduce risks of a COVID-19 infection in people with NCDs, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has teamed up with Society of Community Health Oriented Operational Links (SCHOOL), a not-for-profit organisation, to conduct a survey of people suffering from NCDs in all 42 slums under PMC’s jurisdiction. The move will act as a preventive measure in face of the likely second wave of COVID-19 and manage chronic diseases.

People with underlying NCDs like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer are more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Majority of deaths have been reported in people with co-morbidities. Experts feel there is a crucial link between communicable diseases and NCDs in COVID-19. The survey will be conducted in all 42 slums in PMC. Micro-planning for the same has been done by World Health Organisation (WHO), India.

“We have collaborated with SCHOOL to identify people with underlying NCDs in slums. In April, the organisation had worked with elderly (aged 60 years and above) population suffering from NCDs. Early identification and treatment will be key in defeating COVID,” said Dr Ashish Bharati, health chief of PMC.

Authorities will hold door-to-door health check-ups and collect information on 10 chronic illnesses and other generic ailments

On April 29, during the COVID outbreak, former PMC chief Shekar Gaikwad had reached out to WHO, India, to extend technical guidance to SCHOOL, especially in microplanning and orienting SCHOOL on technical aspects of the disease. This entailed identifying larger slums clusters within Pune, designating vulnerable slums in each cluster and marking number of households in each of the slums. The efforts helped locate eight slum clusters, five slums per cluster – making it to 40 slums and a total population coverage of 2,06,000.

The community officers with the help of field supervisors and in-house technical teams will reach every household, identifying people with underlying NCDs, filling up of details, educating the public, holding door-to-door health check-ups and facilitating tele-medicine services and essential medicines. The team will collect information on 10 chronic illnesses and other generic illnesses. The list of NCD-affected people will be shared with PMC.

Dr Benazir Patil, chief executive officer, SCHOOL, said it is seen that people above the age of 30 years start contracting NCDs. So they will concentrate on the age group. “We believe one in five people is at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 should they become infected, mostly as a result of underlying NCDs. The enormous efforts to deal with COVID-19 have also disrupted the regular care often required by patients with NCDs. We will include 10 slums in a phased manner in the study. WHO, India, is imparting weekly online training sessions to the field staff for the purpose,” added Dr Patil.