The Hindu : `Create awareness of health check-up scheme'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

`Create awareness of health check-up scheme'

By K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI DEC. 9. The master health check-up scheme in city government hospitals has not evoked much response, despite comparative nominal charges.

In spite of the cost effectiveness of the scheme, charging Rs. 250 for ECG, X-Ray, Ultra Sonogram, Bio Chemical, blood and general tests, only an average of 20 persons were screened per day at the Government General Hospital (GH) as on November 2003, against the capacity of 60 persons per day.

The scheme was launched in May 1977 in government hospitals attached to medical colleges. The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) took over the implementation of the scheme at GH four years later.

At present, the government hospitals--Stanley, Kilpauk and Royapettah--receive only 10 persons a day for health check-up.

Even at the GH, the number of patients has been rather low until very recently. The master health check-up centre had only about 10 persons screened per day between May 1997 and May 2000. There was a sudden increase in the flow of patients during the period between June 2000 and October 2001, with about 40 persons screened a day, thanks to enhanced infrastructure.

Equipped with two medical officers and seven paramedical staff, the health centre at GH was provided with separate infrastructure to facilitate quality treatment for patients. However, the number of patients received by the hospital dwindled to just 10 per day between November 2001 and June 2003, a doctor at the health centre said.

A paramedical staff member said the fall in the number of patients visiting the hospital was because of the undue delay in issuing health check-up report. Moreover, the shortage of medicines supplied free of cost, also added to the problem.

The Hospital Dean, M.Ganapathy, said the flow of patients doubled after July 2003, thanks to regular inspection by a medical team of the hospital. The delay in issuance of reports had also been rectified. The centre also offered free periodical review of the patient's health.

To avoid long queues for the check-up, patients could fix up an appointment a week before. This would attract a payment of Rs. 50 that would be adjusted against the total fee, he said. Dr. Ganapathy said awareness of the health check-up scheme had to be created among the public.

A senior officer of the TNMSC said a proposal to publicise the scheme through posters and hoardings was under consideration.

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`Create awareness of health check-up scheme'