The Jharkhand government has decided to equip pathological wing of rural health centres with digital blood testing kit including glucometers and diabetes test strips and blood pressure monitors under the National Programme for Prevention and Control Diseases (NPPCD).

Initially the State NPPCD will launch the scheme to digitise pathlabs of rural health centres of Ranchi, Bokaro and Dhanbad district. The rest of districts will be covered in different phases. The programme aims at reducing prevalence of killer yet curable diseases like TB, blood pressure and diabetes in rural areas.

Officials feel that people residing in villagers usually fall prey to these diseases for want of proper diagnosis. By the time, these diseases are detected in advance stages; it becomes difficult for cure even at the super specialty hospitals, State Nodal officer of the project Himanshu Bhushan.

Apart from medicines and testing kits, the programme also envisages providing proper medical advice by doctors to control the diseases. Large scale awareness programme has also been proposed along with distribution of digital equipment to rural health centres, Bhushan said.

The State unit of the National Rural Health Mission has been given the responsibility to monitor the execution of the programme in consultation with the civil surgeons of respective districts. Besides, health centre staff and auxiliary nurses will also be trained to handle digital equipment, Ranchi Civil Surgeon AK Chaudhary said.