Hyderabad NGO adopts Tamil Nadu’s doorstep NCD model in slums

Hyderabad-based Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) has launched a community health outreach programme modelled on Tamil Nadu’s Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme.

The initiative aims to bring doorstep Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) screening, consultation and medicine delivery, to vulnerable residents of Rajendranagar mandal.

The programme has begun operations through three newly-established NCD sub-centres in Mir Mahamod Pahadi Colony, Suleman Nagar, and Chintalmet, all under the jurisdiction of Rajendranagar Primary Health Centre (PHC). These areas, home to nearly 65,000 to 70,000 people from low-income households, have long struggled with poor access to healthcare.

Each sub-centre is staffed with a doctor, a nurse, and three to four trained Community Health Workers (CHWs), with each CHW responsible for covering 200 to 250 households. Their duties include door-to-door screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI) to identify existing and at-risk NCD cases. The model also integrates a follow-up mechanism, ensuring patients adhere to treatment regimens, adopt lifestyle modifications, and are referred to government hospitals in case of complications.

An analysis by HHF of over 12,000 patient records from urban settlements revealed that 45% of patients find travelling to public health centres both expensive and inconvenient. As a result, about 50% were found to be irregular with treatment, increasing their risk of complications. “Years of deprivation and weak access to healthcare have led to poor health-seeking behaviour among these communities,” said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF.

Preliminary findings from a door-to-door survey of 500 residents, 70% women and 30% men have highlighted the scale of the problem. Around 41% of those surveyed were found to have NCDs. Within this group, 43% had diabetes, 30% had hypertension, 15% had thyroid disorders, 5% had coronary artery disease, and 2.5% were newly diagnosed with diabetes. Alarmingly, nearly 60% of diabetes and hypertension cases were found to be uncontrolled, said the data shared by HHF.

The survey also showed that 38% of the NCD patients were obese, with two-thirds of them suffering from both diabetes and hypertension. Another 32% were overweight, and half of these individuals were diagnosed with NCDs.

Beyond diabetes and hypertension, patients will be periodically screened for a range of other health issues including eye disorders, oral health, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, dementia, and cancers of the breast, cervix, and oral cavity, all at no cost. Provision of spectacles and cataract surgeries will also be free, added Mr. Askari.