To intensify hypertension control activities in the state, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department on Friday released Hypertension and Diabetes Control Protocol during a state-level orientation training on Indian Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI).
The protocol was jointly released by Mission Director National Health Mission, Punjab, Dr Abhinav Trikha and Health and Family Welfare Department Director Dr Adarshpal Kaur.
On the occasion, the programme was also launched in five more districts of the state. As of now, 10 districts of Punjab are being covered under this initiative. Now, IHCI will be implemented in five more districts, taking the total districts to 15 in the state.
Dr Trikha, addressing the workshop, said that prevalence of hypertension in Punjab is 37.7 (NFHS-5) which shows that a considerably large number of state’s population is affected with hypertension.
Emphasising on preventive and promotive health, Dr Trikha also highlighted that Punjab has successfully implemented IHCI as 62 per cent of patients have been reported with control of BP. He exhorted the participants to change their own behaviour by inculcating healthy lifestyle habits and work together to spread such habits in the masses. Use of Millets in our diet and shunning of tobacco and alcohol should also be promoted, he said.
Dr Adrshpal Kaur emphasized that everyone in the department — from medical officer to the ASHA level — should be conversant with the IHCI. She asked the staff to intensify IEC activities regarding this initiative to motivate the concerned patient to take medicine regularly.
Assistant Director-cum-State Program Officer NP-NCD Dr Sandeep Singh Gill informed that considering the higher prevalence of hypertension, Punjab was the first state to implement Indian Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) in the first Phase in January-2018.
He said that the key activities undertaken in IHCI include release of Hypertension Treatment Protocol, Drug Availability, Registration near door step, Treatment outcome- follow up by ASHA, Task Sharing-Decentralization, Monitoring- Informatics, review meetings.