Health screening drive starts in Gurugram

According to health officials, the 60-day campaign starting from January 15 aims to complete the NCD screening for the entire population above 30 years by the end of 2026 at all government-run macro and micro facilities.

The district’s health department on Friday launched an intensive screening drive focusing on the non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension, and three types of common cancers, oral, breast, and cervical, said officials.

The health department’s data from January 2026 shows that around 680,000 NCD screenings are pending in the district. (PTI)

According to health officials, the 60-day campaign starting from January 15 aims to complete the NCD screening for the entire population above 30 years by the end of 2026 at all government-run macro and micro facilities.

Dr Lokveer Singh, chief medical officer (CMO) of Gurugram, said around 10,000 people will be screened every day during the drive at all urban primary health centres (UPHCs), sub-centres, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), sub-divisions and civil hospital.

“Dedicated camps will be set up in the coming weeks. Non-invasive testing methods such as blood pressure measurement, blood sugar tests using glucometers, visual oral examination, clinical breast examination, and VIA screening for cervical cancer will be adopted at primary health centres for the screening of NCDs. In escalated cases, the patients will be referred for ultrasound/mammography or biopsy,” said Dr Singh.

According to officials, dedicated camps will be set up at identified places, including in sector areas, corporate offices, government buildings and near high-rise societies. “If any individual is diagnosed with NCDs, treatment options will be advised by the doctors. In cases of acute ischemic stroke, thrombolytic (clot-busting) therapy, which costs nearly ₹40,000 at private hospitals, will be provided free of cost at Civil Hospital in Sector 10A,” a senior health department official said.

According to health department officials, FAST (face, arm, speech, time), a rapid stroke-screening technique will be adopted by doctors to rule out any chances of stroke occurrences in patients with high blood pressure and hypertension. “Around 300,000 people have been screened in the district between April and December 2025. The prevalence rate for diabetes and hypertension remains at 12% and 23.1%, respectively, among the adult population screened so far,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

The health department’s data from January 2026 shows that around 680,000 NCD screenings are pending in the district. Officials said the data would help in early identification and diagnosis of the disease, allowing high-risk individuals to make timely lifestyle interventions.