Complete Blood Count

A complete blood count is a blood test which helps to evaluate the overall health and helps in detecting a wide range of diseases and disorders including anaemia, various infections and even life-threatening diseases such as leukaemia. This is not an age-specific test. The doctors suggest each woman undergo the test and get their complete blood count twice in a month.

Screening of Diabetes

If in the early stages, diabetes doesn’t show any symptoms but when in later stages it can severely affect the kidney, liver and even eyes of the patient. The basic diabetes check-ups include fasting plasma glucose and pre-prandial plasma. The A1C test provides three -month report of the blood glucose levels. Diabetes screening should be done annually if the reports are normal.

Mammogram Test (Breast Cancer Screening)

A mammogram, which screens breast cancer, involves compressing the breast between the X-ray plates so that the images can be captured. The chances of breast cancer increase with an increase in age. Doctors suggest that women should undergo annual screenings from the age of 45 and recommend mammogram twice a year. In case of family history of the disease, one must consult the doctor at the earliest and he/she may suggest for frequent mammograms.

Thyroid (TSH), T3 and T4

Thyroid function tests are a series of blood tests which measure the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Disorder of thyroid can affect women of all age causing disturbance in normal puberty and menstruation cycles. An overactive or under-active thyroid gland may also affect the ovulation leading to infertility in women. It is essential for women to get their thyroid tested regularly each year or as per the doctor’s recommendation.

Lipid Profile

High Cholesterol level not only increases your chances of cardiovascular diseases, stroke but also links you to the gall bladder disease. In women, the screening must start from the age of 20. At the age of 45 and/or a family history of heart disease, one must undergo the annual screening.

Cervical Cancer Screening or Pap Smear

Cervical cancer arises from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can grow to other major parts of the body. HPV or Pap test helps to detect the growth of these abnormal cells which may become cancerous in the future. Women within the age of 21–65 years must undergo the screening once in three or a maximum of five years.

Bone Mineral Density (BMD) or Osteoporosis

This test measures how much calcium and other types of minerals your bones contain. It helps in detecting osteoporosis and predicts the risk of bone fractures. The most common way to perform this test is DEXA which are low-dose X-rays. Women aging between 20–29 years must get tested once in two months.

About the author

CA (Dr.) Ruchi Gupta is the Founder of 3Hcare – a synonym to quality healthcare services in Delhi NCR – with the objective to provide quality diagnostic related services at affordable prices. She is a prolific educationist, qualified UGC NET- JRF, having a decade long experience in mentoring management students in the field of applied Finance & Business Management.

World Health Day

April 7th marks the birth anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and along with drives worldwide attention by spreading the message of the importance of global health each year.

Ranging from imperative issues such as food safety, diabetes, depressions, etc., this year the World Health Day embarks the mission of people-centered care irrespective of their financial hardships. The 2019 theme envisions the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), i.e., health for all. There are millions of people who have no access at all to healthcare. Majority of the populations are forced to choose between healthcare and other daily needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. In India, a lot of efforts need to be put in to ensure adequate medicines, affordable health policies, and financing strategies to enable everyone to get access to equal healthcare. “Universal” in UHC means “for all”, without discrimination, leaving no one behind, i.e. providing healthcare facilities which are

• Accessible
• Affordable
• Available
• Appropriate
• Adequate

Addressing the Financial Crisis

“Universal health coverage is also about ensuring access to essential quality care and financial protection,” says Dr. Mahjour. It aids in enhancing people’s health at large and increasing their life expectancy. Under this, many countries are protected from epidemics and the risk of hunger. This paves a way for new jobs, enhanced economic growth, and gender equality.

To make the phenomenon of Universal health coverage achievable globally, there should be concrete roadmaps which highlight the gaps and obstacles patients face in accessing proper healthcare. This can be done only when there are identified challenges, key actions and sustainable goals to be taken care of.

• There must be a holistic range of health and related services
• Quality care is a must
• There must be an end to discrimination and stigma
• The healthcare products and services should be affordable
• Sustainable investment in health is another prerequisite

Where India Stands – The New “Health-Y” Politics

The much-awaited general election will be held in India in April 2019 when the Indian voters will go to the polls. It is anticipated that whichever government comes into play will surely set a course for newer and better health policy.

Recent researches reveal an alarmingly rapid epidemiological transition. The occurrence of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer are rapidly on a rise. For instance, since 1990, the number of Indians with diabetes has increased from 26 million to approximately 65 million to date. The incidence of all cancers has increased by 28% between 1990 and 2016, with new cases of cancer emerging each year. India not only seems terribly engulfed in the swirling epidemic of non-communicable diseases, but it is also in the grip of a mental health emergency. The rate of global suicide deaths is speculated to be 1.1 times higher among women and 1.4 times higher among men than global averages in 2016.

It would be unfair if we highlight only the negative side of the picture. After many years of neglect, the Government of India has finally recognized and considered the perils of public discontent relating to health. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated a new programme called Ayushman Bharat, which along with focusing on preventive health, emphasizes affordable health.

Ayushman Bharat majorly comprises two new flagship programmes. First, the creation of 1.5 lakh health and wellness centers across the whole country. These centers will primarily be responsible for providing primary healthcare facilities to provide health coverage for all. The second includes the National Health Protection Mission (NHPM)—a system of health insurance that intends to cover 500 million people. It covers secondary and tertiary care for the poorest and most vulnerable strata of society. These twin programmes together must help India improve access to quality health services and reduce out-of-pocket health expenditures.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister who has grasped the importance of health for Indian citizens and has prioritized universal health coverage as part of his political platform. “Modicare” as it is sometimes addressed to, can become a decisive issue in the upcoming general elections.

Way Forward for a Healthy Nation
Does Universal health Coverage still seem a distant goal in India!

The scant funding from the Central and state governments seems the root cause and the major hindrance in achieving UHC. The Central Government has recently announced a massive expansion of healthcare facilities.

Through its ambitious National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), the Government of India provides a framework for universal health coverage in which it prioritizes healthcare delivery and its easy access. By reducing out-of-pocket payments, expanding service coverage, improving quality of services, and ultimately advancing UHC, countries and in particular, India with schemes like NHPS in place can transform the health of their people and bring drastic changes in society. As stated by WHO Director-General: “No one should have to choose between death and financial hardship. No one should have to choose between buying medicine and buying food.” UHC indeed is a way to go ahead.

About the author

Dr. Jasmeet Kaur is a Doctorate in Immunology and whenever she gets free time from the full-time job she loves to read and write about imperative issues in healthcare.

While World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 800 grams or 5-9 servings of fruit or vegetables per day, the new study has shown that it takes just half – that is, 375 grams to get the desired health benefits. This is important for people living in countries who cannot afford a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Potatoes and other tubers were not included and fruit juices were not considered as fruits while calculating the intake. Legumes included beans, black beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, and black-eyed peas.

The researchers attribute beneficial effects of consuming fruits and vegetables to presence of antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids, and fiber in them, which reduces bad cholesterol, improves insulin response, lowers the blood pressure, prevents fat deposition in blood vessels, and improves cellular function in the body.

“Although there is a popular belief that fruits, and vegetables are healthy, there was no long-term study data to support this and hence our findings are new and significant,” said Dr.V Mohan of the Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre in Chennai, who contributed to the study.

The decade-long research was done in 18 countries with 135,335 participants aged 35 to 70 years. Healthy individuals with no reported diseases and complications were enrolled for the study. They were given questionnaires to record daily diet, lifestyle habits like smoking, physical activity and alcohol intake, and their socioeconomic status like education, income, and employment.

At the end of the study, researchers recorded the number of deaths, cases of cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, and stroke. Then the data was analyzed to see if consuming higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, and dal is related to the number of deaths and adverse outcomes on health. “We found that regular consumption of vegetables, fruits and legumes protectedpeople from cardiovascular disease and death”, states Dr. Mohan.

“This study does not distinguish between cooked vegetables and raw ones, although it is common knowledge that cooking destroys some of the vitamins and minerals, hence as far as possible we should use raw vegetables like tomato, cucumber, carrot and green leafy vegetables which can be consumed raw”, pointed out Dr. Mohan.

According to Estefania Toledo, professor at the Department of Nutrition of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA, who is not connected to the study,“Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables should beat the expense of reducing other foods and drinks, such as sugar sweetened beverages, red and processed meat, saturated and trans fat, refined cereals, and sugar rich desserts”. She added that consuming more plant-based foods helps replace detrimental foods, which benefits the overall dietary pattern.

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