Role of Chief Minister Health Scheme on World Hypertension Day
Chandigarh- On the occasion of World Hypertension Day, Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana of Bhagwant Mann government is providing affordable and quick health services to the patients suffering from high blood pressure and its related diseases. As the cases of hypertension are increasing across various age groups, this scheme is providing timely treatment to thousands of families of Punjab and also protecting them from huge medical expenses.
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is often referred to by doctors as the ‘silent killer’. This can lead to serious problems like stroke, heart failure or kidney disease without any apparent warning. This disease is being seen in almost every age group.
In hospitals, elderly men are seen waiting for test reports, while women keep medicine slips safe in their purses. Young patients, who were earlier considered too young for the disease, now seem to be worried about rising blood pressure readings. Behind every patient’s file is a family trying to balance the illness and rising treatment expenses.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the burden of hypertension is increasing rapidly in India, the main reasons for which are unhealthy eating habits, stress, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and irregular lifestyle.
Doctors say that many patients come to know about this disease when serious complications have arisen. Amidst such growing health crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Health Scheme is proving to be an important protective shield. The scheme is providing treatment for high blood pressure and its associated complications to thousands of patients without the burden of huge medical bills.
The treatment and hospitalization expenses for stroke, serious cardiac emergencies and kidney related diseases due to uncontrolled blood pressure are now being borne under this scheme, thereby providing relief to the families going through mental stress.
Most of the patients in Punjab still belong to the middle-aged and elderly population, with the 40 to 80 year age group being the most affected. According to the state health agency data, Gurdaspur recorded patients up to 94 years of age, while SAS Nagar recorded patients up to 98 years of age, indicating that the disease is widespread among the elderly.
Districts like Patiala, SAS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Faridkot reported a large number of cases in both men and women. Whereas in the hospital records of Amritsar and Ludhiana, the number of cases has been found to be relatively higher in women in the age group of 50 to 77 years.
Dr. Saurabh Sharma, who is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology at Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, says that high blood pressure is no longer limited to the elderly only. He said, “Modern lifestyle has brought new health challenges for every age group. Although most of the cases are seen in people aged 40 to 90 years and above, now cases of hypertension are also being reported in teenagers and young people in the age group of 20 to 30 years.”
“Lifestyle factors like stress, poor diet, lack of exercise and irregular daily routine are the major causes of high blood pressure, although certain medical conditions can also cause it,” said Dr Sharma. He also warned that these complications are now appearing at a younger age than before. Now not only high blood pressure but its related complications like stroke, heart failure and kidney disease are also appearing earlier than before.
According to Dr. Sharma, schemes like Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana are extremely important because they prevent patients from postponing treatment due to financial fear. He said, “Delay in treatment in a hypertensive emergency sometimes proves to be the difference between life and death.”
Health officials say that the biggest feature of this scheme is not only providing treatment, but also ensuring timely treatment. Earlier, many families used to delay getting the patient admitted to the hospital due to financial fear, which sometimes proved fatal. Now under the health scheme, patients have started taking timely medical help, due to which their chances of recovery are increasing. The scheme has emerged as a protective shield against huge medical expenses for middle-class families, pensioners and government employees.
On this World Hypertension Day, Sehat Card’s biggest achievement is not just the number of cases dealt with, but also the respect and confidence it has given to patients, so that they can get treatment without the fear of financial hardship.
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