I have announced the Swasth Chetna Evam Jan Sahyog Abhiyaan (SCEJSA), which will be the first government initiative to draw people into the benefits of promotive and preventive health in the national capital. SCEJSA shivirs have been opened at five big Ram Lila grounds and a Durga Puja mandap in Chittaranjan Park during the festive season. I urge all to avail this opportunity to get themselves checked by doctors from the leading hospitals of Delhi and also avail free diagnostics and secondary treatment opportunities. The locations of the shivirs are: Luv-Kush Ram Lila at Lal Quila Maidan;Sri Balaji Ram Lila at CBD ground Karkardooma; Ram Lila Ground Trinagar (Keshavpuram); Shalimar Bagh near BL Block; Ram Lila Ground in Ashok Vihar Phase 1(near Dhyan Chand Stadium). More than 50 lakh people participate in the Ram Lila celebrations during the Navratra period. In all 26 doctors, 90 paramedics/nurses and more than 200 volunteers are involved in SCEJSA.They have been drawn from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and various hospitals of the Delhi government. This is one of the ways a social movement around health should ideally work. We are finalising a broader strategy which will be discussed with the health secretaries of the states on October 9. The gains from SCEJSA in terms of experience would serve as inputs for modelling a nation-wide health movement involving all stakeholders. One or more local volunteer will be attached to two government health workers to form a team for each shivir which will mingle with the crowds not at the venue but also in the wider neighbourhood. They have been assigned the task of distributing fliers which contain tell-tale signs of major non-communicable diseases. The fliers will also have questions which people will be encouraged to fill out by the volunteers. The filled out forms will be deposited in the shivirs where specialist doctors will go through them and give appropriate advice. There will be facilities for free tests for blood pressure, blood glucose (random), and body-mass index tests for those who fill out the forms. Doctor support will be provided for those needing treatment. If anybody requires referral to a government hospital the volunteers will facilitate the process. There will also be facilities for Liver Function and Kidney Function tests at the stalls. Those who report symptoms of cancer will be screened for cancer by specialists from AIIMS. There will be online registration facilities for admission to AIIMS available at the shivirs. The shivirs started functioning on September 28, and within three days about 4,200 people have been screened. More than 2 lakh people have been directly contacted for spreading awareness. I visited the shivirs at Shalimar Bagh, Ashok Vihar and Trinagar on Tuesday and visited the shivirs at Karkardooma and Lal Quila yesterday. I found long queues at all the places and am satisfied that the movement has been a success. I encourage all to visit the Facebook page of Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat and participate.(https://facebook/swachhbharatswasthbharat) Another task cut out for them is to identify “health champions” who are role models on health and sanitation. Their names will be publicised through the Facebook page. Through social media the virtues of community participation will be spread. There will also be online reward programmes for “Best Health Food recipe” and the best health awareness video that is posted. Till now more than 1lakh people have visited the Facebook page and more than 11,000 have “liked” the posts. Every revolution needs role models. The health sector is going to see a revolution soon and we need role models. Maybe we will find them through this movement.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 04:52:40 +0000
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