Vice President calls for national movement against NCDs

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Sunday called for a national movement against non-communicable diseases (NCD), even as he appealed to private hospitals to play a role in setting up 'NCD Clinics' in both urban and rural areas. Underscoring dangers of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary habits that also caused NCDs, Naidu urged the medical fraternity to reach out to people, particularly students, to educate them on the dangers of lifestyle diseases.

"... a national movement against the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases needs to be launched," he said after inaugurating a private hospital here. "Although we have made great strides in reducing infant and maternal mortality rates over the last five decades and in controlling the spread of diseases like HIV and TB, there is need to take concerted action to stop the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases," Naidu said.

He urged the Indian Medical Association to take the lead in promoting awareness among the people, particularly students. Quoting World Health Organisation 2017 data that said 61 per cent of deaths in India are attributed to NCDs, the Vice-President said he felt there is a need to establish NCD clinics in both urban and rural areas.

"The private sector must play a prominent role in setting up such clinics," he said. Suggesting private hospitals to expand its footprint to villages and remote rural areas, Naidu said the private sector needs to complement the efforts of the government in reaching modern healthcare facilities to the rural areas.

He appealed to doctors in both public and private sectors to create awareness campaigns in nearby schools on the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit who also took part in the inauguration emphasised on the country's "glorious" past in medical education and medical sciences.

"Sushruta, Jivaka Kumarabhacca, and Charaka were famous medical experts who showed the world how to treat diseases and illnesses. At a time when surgeries in England were done primitively, the most complex surgeries were being performed in India by well-trained surgeons," he said.

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