Starting next week, the Health Ministry will provide screening services for Non-communicable diseases (NCD) and Pap smear in the country through health camps. This according to the Health Minister is to avoid crowding in hospitals and to help contain the spread of Coronavirus.
“Starting from 14th of this month, we are starting NCD screening and Pap smear program with the civil servants. Then we will screen others in small groups so that you don’t have to visit hospitals. We have such programs planned. First we will start with cities with more population where we usually have crowd in hospitals. Likewise in other dzongkhags and villages, small targeted advocacy and health camps will be arranged, so that we help contain the spread of Coronavirus,” said Dechen Wangmo, the Health Minister.
The flu clinics will also provide tuberculosis (TB) screening services.
“So what we have done is that we are integrating TB screening services into Flu Clinics, so we would also like to request public to avail themselves of this service. TB is also a big public health concern in our country. TB for one reason it is contagious, if you have it you might give it to your family, your children, your parents and then more importantly is the Multi Drug Resistance TB, those are even more dangerous,” Lyonpo added.
The minister also informed that 13 x-ray machines have been distributed to Basic Health Units and one digital x-ray machine to Phuentshogling General Hospital towards providing uninterrupted services.
Sangay Chezom
