Citizen health screening program has been launched in Karnali. The program started from Gumi Health Chowki in Gurvakot Municipality-13 of Surkhet on Sunday. Ghanshyam Bhandari, Minister of Social Development of Karnali State Government, inaugurated the program.

Through the program, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease will be tested and treated for free for citizens over 40 years of age. Minister Bhandari said that regular testing and treatment services for non-communicable diseases have been started at all local levels in all 10 districts. told . 

Noting that the risk of non-communicable diseases is increasing in Karnali recently due to unhealthy diet and lifestyle, he said that the citizen health screening program has been launched. "The main purpose of testing non-communicable diseases in the population above 40 years is to find out the overall health condition of Karnali," he said, "The government has moved forward with the goal of creating a healthy Karnali by reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases in the future. Based on the data screened through the program, it is expected to help decide the future health strategy.'

Under the annual policy and program of the provincial government, the citizen health examination program has been systematically organized and advanced, he said. To make the program effective, the ministry is preparing to conduct health promotion work in all municipalities of Karnali.

Karnali Province Acting Director of Health Services Directorate Mankumari Gurung expressed her belief that the health examination will be effective in reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases among 40 circumcised women and men in a program promoted by the provincial government. Mentioning that non-communicable diseases are increasing by two-thirds in Nepal, she said that even Karnali has not been untouched by this. The test program will last for three days. After that, she said that the goal is to conduct programs on different dates in all 10 districts. According to director Gurung, the 1 million budget sent to the district to conduct the

program will purchase screening material and expand the civilian health examination this year under the management of the directorate.

She said that from the next financial year, the tests will be made regular from the ward level in coordination with all 79 local levels of Karnali. According to him, the health check-up and examination of citizens above 40 years of age will be done for three days in the health institutions located in the centers of all 79 local levels. After screening, the final examination of the new patients will be done at the nearest strategic and basic hospital and the medicine will be provided to the patients from the local ward level health institutions.  Under the

program, samples will be collected from health institutions that do not have laboratories and sent to the nearest strategic and basic hospitals for testing. Similarly, in health institutions with laboratories, along with sample testing, treatment will be provided if the condition is found. Kiran Sharma, the focal person in the civil health examination program, said that if treatment is not possible in such health institutions, they will be referred to a well-equipped hospital based on complications. According to him, Karnali State Hospital and Karnali Institute of Health Sciences have been designated specialized hospitals for treatment based on the complexity of the patient.  It is expected that the