BMC to survey senior citizens with diabetes, hypertension – CNBCTV18

Forty-seven percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Mumbai until Monday involved cases above the age of 60-70 years. For nearly all of them, however, coronavirus alone cannot be blamed. Almost all of these people succumbed to the deadly virus due to severe underlying medical conditions, primarily diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments and chronic respiratory diseases. Another 29 percent fatalities involved the people in the age bracket of 51-60 years and here too primarily with co-morbidities.

Mumbai has recorded the highest COVID-19 fatalities with 151 deaths. At least 71 of them are above 61 years of age and 45 are in the 51-60 years age bracket.

The world over the SARS coronavirus has proven to be deadlier for older people and those with underlying health conditions. Eighty percent of all people who died of COVID-19 in Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra had co-morbidities.

A closer look at the trends in the COVID-19 fatalities in Mumbai in the last three-four days throws open another facet.

On Monday, seven people admitted to the dedicated COVID-19 hospitals died within a few hours of being admitted. Five of them were above 50 years of age and all had co-morbidities. Similar instances have been recorded in previous days as well.

Health experts say these people had uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension and reached the hospital when the disease was uncontainable.

To address this and reduce the fatality rates in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now proactively screening all senior citizens living in the city slums. People, who are not COVID-19 positive, but above the age of 60 years and particularly those with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments and chronic respiratory diseases are being screened.

BMC says this bracket of people are at an increased risk of contracting the disease and liable to develop complications more than the others. The municipal body is aiming to identify this high-risk segment of the population early on.

BMC is conducting house to house survey in slums to identify and provide these high-risk people with immediate medical support if needed. The survey team will confirm if these people are taking regular medications for their underlying medical conditions and if not then they will refer them to a nearby dispensary for starting appropriate treatment. Those with controlled diabetes, hypertension or respiratory complications will be moved to non-COVID hospitals to monitor their condition and avoid exposure to coronavirus.

COVID-19 mortality in the city of Mumbai is at 4.4 percent, much higher than the national average of 3.2 percent.

A 2017 data report by NGO Praja Foundation had listed health ailments, particularly Ischemic heart disease as the leading cause of death in Mumbai, followed by diabetes as the underlying condition that increases the risk for another stroke, coronary artery disease or kidney failures.

A five-year data analysis, released by diagnostic chain Metropolis Healthcare in November 2019 had highlighted the high burden of diabetes in the city. Twenty-five percent of the 5.3 lakh samples tested for HbA1C, cumulatively over 5 years, were found to be suffering from poorly controlled diabetes. The highest incidence of poorly controlled diabetes was found to be in the 50-60-years-age group, 32 percent of samples. The 6070 years had the second-highest incident (29 percent).

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BMC to survey senior citizens with diabetes, hypertension - CNBCTV18