Date:13/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/13/stories/2007121356040800.htm

Tamil Nadu

Two mega health melas to be held in Tuticorin

R. Vimal Kumar

Under National Rural Health Mission scheme

Tuticorin: The Department of Health will conduct two mega ‘health melas’ in Tuticorin Health Unit District (HUD) during next month under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme, to provide access to quality health care by rural people.

Speaking to The Hindu, S. Uma, Deputy Director of Health Services, said that the programmes would be conducted at Peikulam and Srivaikundam on January 4 and 29, respectively.

Doctors from multi-specialty disciplines will attend to the patients.

Dr. Uma said that the ‘health melas’ would also be used as platforms to disseminate salient features of various national level programmes launched to control the spreading of diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy and AIDS, to rural masses.

They would be told how these diseases spread in a community and the curative measures to be taken.

The steps taken up by the Department under National Blindness Control Programme like preparation of village blindness register and eye care service in outreach areas, would be explained to the people.

Gestational diabetes

Dr Uma said that a screening programme had been introduced in the district under the NRHM, to detect gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that affected pregnant women. The facility was available at all ‘Block Primary Health Centres’.

The pregnant women thus could undergo screening on 16th, 30th and 32nd weeks of pregnancy and subsequently during first week, sixth week and one year after delivery, all free of cost.