Mumbai: Now, get dietary advice at BMC's 127 dispensaries

Study of patients across all civic hospitals and dispensaries showed an alarming rise in lifestyle related diseases

With the alarming rise in the number of lifestyle diseases reported at civic hospitals, all BMC-run dispensaries will have dieticians to advise patients from poor economic backgrounds. Patients will be given advice on how to control diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol.

Data compiled by BMC's health department shows that the highest number of cases reported at dispensaries are related to lifestyle diseases. After realising the gravity of the situation, the BMC initiated a plan where dieticians would be invited to the 127 civic-run dispensaries in the city.

"There is a misconception among people that lifestyle diseases only happen among the rich. But, the data gathered from across the city has shown that the trend is being seen among the poor, too. That's why we decided to recruit dieticians at all these centres," said Dr Padmaja Keshkar, executive director of BMC's health department.

Senior doctors and trained medical experts will visit the dispensaries for the treatment of patients. Also, if everything goes according to plan, then these centres would also be given advanced machines for early and better diagnosis.

In April, the BMC released a study by doctors who visited three-level healthcare facilities of 175 civic dispensaries, 15 peripheral hospitals and four tertiary care hospitals. From tertiary hospitals - KEM Hospital, Parel, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central and Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital, Vile Parle - data from 5.59 lakh patients was studied.

The study revealed psychiatric ailments, followed by diabetes and hypertension were the leading diagnoses at these facilities. At dispensaries, where data from 62.74 lakh patients was studied, the common diagnosis was for acute respiratory illness, fever, diarrhoea, diabetes and hypertension.

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