Soon, an app for follow-up on non-communicable diseases

While the state of Tamil Nadu is strong in terms of screening the public for NCDs, the need for follow ups of the cases was deemed essential, the lack of which was found to be a cause for the continuing cases. In the policy note released by the Health Department this year, it was said that a proposal was made to provide a handheld device for capturing the NCD data related for screening, treatment and follow-up of these diseases.  Stating that the process of screening the public had started in the state over nine years ago, Darez Ahmed, Director, National Health Mission, said, “We follow institutional screening wherein the people would come forward for screening. However, we realised the need to strengthen our process with follow ups.” 

“Among the various kinds of NCDs people are afflicted with, 90 per cent die of hypertension, a disease that is easiest to identify and cure. However, so many deaths are reported, the causes for which are delayed treatment and the lack of follow ups,” he added. “The app will serve to help those registered by reminding them of undergoing tests and updating their reports, which can be accessed by doctors by typing out the patient’s NCD number,” said a government official. The application is being developed under the technical guidance of National Informatics Centre (NIC). This NCD mobile app will be piloted in a few districts before up-scaling it to all other districts. The Health Department has also planned to go to the communities instead of limiting itself to the mere institutional screening it follows. It will be implemented in Tirunelveli and Coimbatore and five districts - listed covering 1203 Health Sub Centres (HSCs) during 2017-18 - including Perambalur, Krishnagiri, Pudukkottai, Karur and Ramanathapuram. 

Upon implementation of the population based screening in the above areas, the program will be up-scaled to other districts in a phased manner.