The Hindu : Kerala News : Now, health check from Kudumbasree

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 21, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Now, health check from Kudumbasree

This is a concept that is sure to catch up - health check at your doorstep by trained personnel.

The Kudumbasree Poverty Eradication Mission conceived it, first as an employment opportunity for women from the lower income groups.

Now it is turning out to be quite an idea whose time has come.

The Santhwanam programme has seen good response in Thiruvananthapuram where it was launched first.

In Ernakulam, the programme was launched early this week at the Kanjoor panchayat.

Here a team of two women, trained to check blood pressure, blood sugar level and help you get an idea of your body mass index, will call at your home if required with their electronic gadgets.

For a small fee, you can check your blood pressure or blood sugar level at home. The para-medical team is just a call away.

Rising number of people who develop lifestyle diseases with busy schedules is one of the areas into which the Kudumbasree para-medical teams hope to make their foray.

State-wide programme

The programme is being launched all over the State by Kudumbasree in association with Health Action By People, a non-governmental organisation based in Thiruvananthapuram.

The idea is to train at least two persons in every panchayat across the State, help them buy sophisticated equipment and let them serve their immediate community.

A two-wheeler and a mobile phone are part of each team.

Health Action By People has already trained 132 women all over the State as the programme is slowly being launched all over Kerala.

Seventeen women have been trained in Thiruvananthapuram, five in Alappuzha, 19 in Kollam, three in Pathanamthitta, ten each in Kottayam and Idukki districts, nine in Ernakulam, 21 in Thrissur, 11 in Palakkad, 15 in Kozhikode, eight in Kannur and four in Kasaragod.

The health workers are chosen by the Kudumbasree Mission from each of the panchayats and are trained by doctors and are issued certificates after training.

The training and the acceptability of these women health workers in their immediate community are factors that are expected to see the new Kudumbasree programme through.

K.A. Martin

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