Hypertension & diabetes on rise in Goa, says DHS official

Panaji: Non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes are on the rise in Goa, said deputy director of health services Dr Rupa Naik on Wednesday.

Goa’s disease burden is different from the rest of the country and almost on par with that of some developed countries, she said.

Naik said that diseases like hypertension and diabetes are “cause for heart attacks, cerebrovascular accidents like strokes, cancers, and renal failure (dialysis),” she said.

Naik was speaking at the signing of an MoU between the Power Grid Corporation of India, DHS, and Goa Corporate Social Responsibility Authority, whereby DHS is being provided with two advanced life support ambulances, six basic life support ambulances, and Apheresis Equipment for the blood bank at the North Goa district hospital.

The high number of non-communicable diseases and road traffic accidents are the reason the health department has budgeted for more ambulances, she said.

Joint CEO of the Goa Corporate Social Responsibility Authority and CEO of planning and statistics, Vijay Saxena, said that instead of approaching different departments, the money from corporates’ CSR now goes into the kitty of the authority, which then decides on the priority of projects to be implemented by different departments for the Goan community.

“We have received Rs 1.16 crore from Prasad Natralaya (Udupi) for the ‘Vision for All’. It was the first time in the country that a small state like Goa could do 100% eye checkups,” he said, adding that 2.3 lakh children had a first-level eye screening, with the second level ongoing.

“Every child will be provided spectacles free of cost, and if surgery is needed, this will be done free of cost. No parent will have to spend any money,” he said.