Special health checkup’s for 11178 ANMs/ASHAs across the state has been conducted under the Free Annual Preventive Health Check-up (FAPHC) programme in all the Community Health Centres (CHC’s). This was stated here today by Sh Brahm Mohindra, Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education & Research Minister, Punjab. He stated that this initiative was dedicated towards the better health of these female workers associated with the department to mark women's day. These female workers were screened for diseases like Anaemia, Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer, Kidney and Liver diseases etc. He told that the objective of this initiative was to educate women in reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases and laid emphasis upon importance of preventive health checkup's. He said the Health Department envisaged that these health workers (ANM’s & ASHA’s) would in turn motivate more and more people, especially the women to avail the preventive health check up facility under FAPHC. Good health of woman is one of the basic constituent in building a healthy society.
Brahm Mohindra disclosed that under this initiative, maximum number of female workers came forward for preventive health check-up's were in the districts of Amritsar (2924), Ludhiana (1049) and Jalandhar (1024). He told that out of the total 11178 ANM's & ASHA's screened, 1663 were found to be Anaemic, 516 suffering with Obesity, 1396 suffering with Hypertension and 642 were found Diabetic. Apart from this 10 females were found to be suffering with suspected Liver ailment, 2 with suspected breast cancer and 7 with suspected Cervix Cancer. He said that under FAPHC programme, basic investigations like Blood Pressure, Hemoglobin, Blood Sugar, Kidney & Liver function tests and consultation by doctors are conducted free of cost for all 30-plus citizens of Punjab who are willing to get themselves screened for such diseases on every Saturday across all the Community Health Centers of the state .Meanwhile, Ms Vini Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Punjab stated that the motive behind this gesture was to to generate further awareness among women regarding their health issues. As the awareness among the women regarding preventive health check up will increase, more and more women without any pre-diagnosed diseases are likely to come forward for routine preventive health checkups. She underlined the need for maintaining healthy lifestyle and good eating habits for keeping diseases away. She attributed factors like regular exercise, eating more vegetables and avoiding junk food and refraining from tobacco and alcohol consumption as basics for maintaining good health.