Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday inaugurated doorstep health care services named 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' in Krishnagiri district. The scheme focuses on community-based interventions to improve compliance and disease control in the state while ensuring that health care services are delivered directly at the doorstep of beneficiaries. Under the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme, every beneficiary will be brought under the Population Health Registry (PHR) which will form the common denominator to ensure continuous monitoring and follow up of patients.
Besides the current expenditure for the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Program in the state, the scheme is expected to be implemented at a tentative annual cost of Rs 257,15,78,350. Speaking on the occasion, the Tamil CM informed that the home-based drug delivery component of the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme is specifically developed to address the issue by focusing on optimal detection, treatment and follow up to achieve better compliance and control rates for Non-Communicable Diseases across the entire state.
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"A field team including Women Health Volunteers (WHVs) under the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women (TNCDW), ASHA workers in tribal areas, Mid-Level Health Providers, Village Health Nurses, Health Inspectors, Palliative Care Staff Nurses and Physiotherapists will be deployed to provide home-based health care services," an official statement read.
The statement further added, "Along with the Population-Based Screening (PBS) Program for those aged 18 years and above covering 10 common conditions (Hypertension, Diabetes, Oral Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Breast Cancer, TB, Leprosy, Chronic Kidney Diseases, COPD and Mental Health), the Women Health Volunteers will also deliver Hypertension / Diabetes drugs to registered patients aged 45 years and above and also to those with restricted or poor mobility.
The Women Health Volunteers will also provide other essential services like motivating women for cancer screening, referrals for AN care and immunization, identification of any congenital problems and information on teleconsultation. Health care workers will also guide and monitor the home-based Dialysis therapy, Home-based Palliative care services and Home-based Physiotherapy services."
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Stalin also stated that the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Reform Program (TNHSRP) would monitor the coverage at the state level and the District Project Officer would coordinate it at the District level. The first phase of the flagship of the 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' scheme will cover 1,172 Health Sub Centres, 189 Primary Health Centres and 50 Community Health Centres in 50 Universal Health Coverage Blocks across the state.
In addition, this scheme will also be implemented in one Zone in three Corporations (Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Greater Chennai Corporation) covering 106 Sectors and 21 Urban Primary Health Centres. The scheme will further be up-scaled to cover the entire state by the end of 2021.
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