

HYDERABAD: The Health department will launch an initiative to prepare health profiles of women belonging to self-help groups (SHGs) across the state on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8.
The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha with senior officials of the department on Wednesday.
As part of the programme, 30 types of diagnostic tests will be conducted on each woman with the support of Telangana Diagnostics. Around 46 lakh women will be screened in three phases beginning March 8.
In the first phase, the initiative will be launched in five mandals in each district. The second phase will cover 10 mandals per district. The minister directed officials to complete the entire screening process within six months.
He also suggested upgrading 145 urban Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits, Cyberabad and Medchal into polyclinics and providing specialised medical services.
Officials said medical camps would be organised through mobile medical units in slum areas within city limits to extend healthcare services to the urban poor.
Health Secretary Christina Z Chongthu, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Sangeetha Satyanarayana, Arogyasri CEO Uday Kumar, Director General of the Drug Control Authority Shahnawaz Qasim, DME Narendra Kumar, TVVP Commissioner Ajay Kumar, DH Ravinder Naik and other senior officials attended the meeting.