PATNA: The Bihar government on Wednesday launched a statewide door-to-door health campaign to screen around six crore people aged 30 and above for serious and non-communicable diseases and provide treatment at their doorstep.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inaugurated the 'Jaanch evam Upchar Chikitsa Aapke Dwar' (Screening and Treatment at Your Doorstep) campaign and flagged off awareness chariots in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Health Minister Nishant Kumar.
The campaign, which will continue until November 30, will cover around 14,500 health centres across the state, with health teams visiting villages, panchayats and households.
The screening will focus on diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease, respiratory and lung ailments, fatty liver and tuberculosis, among other serious illnesses.
Those diagnosed with a disease will be provided medicines, medical advice and treatment, besides referrals to higher-level facilities where required.
Choudhary said the initiative would also create and digitise individual health records and link them with ABHA IDs, wherever possible, to facilitate early detection, treatment and follow-up.
Awareness chariots will travel across districts and villages to educate people about diseases and preventive measures.
The government has separately launched a drive to tackle anaemia among women and girls. More than 63 per cent of women in Bihar suffer from anaemia, according to data cited at the event. Around one crore women and girls will be screened and treated under the initiative.
The state is also expanding services at district hospitals, increasing the number of diseases treated at the district level from 36 to 46.
ICU beds and surgical facilities are being expanded, with more than 8,000 surgeries currently performed every month at district hospitals, the chief minister said.
Choudhary said that 700 nurses had been appointed before Raksha Bandhan and further recruitment of doctors and nurses would be undertaken as required.
The state is also planning language training for healthcare workers seeking jobs abroad, including Japanese for those going to Japan and French for those travelling to France.
The chief minister also directed district magistrates to prepare for 'Mission Kayakalp', which is expected to be launched soon to improve infrastructure and facilities at hospitals and additional primary health centres, particularly in rural areas.