Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Formulate A €Œnational Disease Control Programmeâ€� To Prevent The ... on 3 May, 2005
> Title: Need to formulate a “National Disease Control Programme” to prevent the spread of Cardiovscular disease due to Rheumatic fever.
DR. RAM CHANDRA DOME (BIRBHUM): Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Sir, through you, I want to raise an important issue concerning the health of the people. The problem of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in our country is a great problem nowadays. Mainly socio-economically weak or the poorer sections of the society are the sufferers – those people who reside in rural areas, in dense and uninhabitable places, as also the bastivasis in the towns are the worst sufferers. This disease is due to infection, simply by spread of bacteria, known as Group-A Streptococci.
A study has been conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research recently. It has conducted a study on ‘community control of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease’ under Jai Vigyan Mission Mode projects in the year 2000-05. A cross-sectional survey in school children conducted by PGIMER, Chandigarh in the State of Haryana and by CMC, Vellore in Kanyambadi Block of Tamil Nadu showed that the prevalence of Group-A streptococci, the organism responsible for rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, was 2.14 per cent and 11.1 per cent in throat cultures respectively. The prevalence of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in school children of 5-14 years has been found to vary from 0.079 per thousand to 1.43 per thousand in different parts of the country.
This is not just the exact position – many of the children, who are the principal sufferers, do not come to school. So, I urge upon the Government to take steps in this direction. If this problem is detected in the early stages, it is totally preventable. When it is not prevented, in the late stages of their lives, the heart valves get damaged.
MR. SPEAKER: This is not a debate. You may just mention the problem.
DR. RAM CHANDRA DOME : It is not getting the attention of the Government since very long time. I have mentioned it in many forums, but this is not at all taken notice of.
Due to this, people suffer and then, they come to us for getting assistance from the National Illness Fund, for replacement of heart valves. It is preventable with a single penicillin prophylactic injection, if it is detected early. If some sort of control programme is there or if some sort of surveillance is there, then this problem may not crop up.
So, my request would be that the Government may immediately set up a National Control Programme for Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Diseases, which may be called as Cardiovascular Disease Control Programme. This is very much necessary. So, the Government should come forward with a comprehensive National Control Programme for Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Diseases. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: You are giving a one-line notice and take ten minutes.