The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Aug 17, 2021; Day 120

We hope that these editorial articles are helping you in your exam preparation. This series of  Editorials’ Difficult Words will help you to understand the editorials of The Hindu in a better way. Today we have come up with the explanation of difficult words/phrases of the below editorial. Have a look and update your word power & general awareness by going through this editorial.

Difficult Word/ Phrase	Contextual Sense
Mitigate	make less severe, serious, or painful
Frailty	the condition of being weak and delicate
Debilitate	make (someone) weak and infirm
Chink	a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable
Bolster	support or strengthen
Tenacious	tending to keep a firm hold of something
Notch	an imaginary point or position in a comparison of amounts or values
Efficacy	the ability to produce a desired or intended result
Continuum	something that changes in character gradually or in very slight stages without any clear dividing points
Follow suit	do as someone else has done

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Doctor at the door: On doorstep health-care delivery

Doorstep health-care delivery can mitigate (make less severe, serious, or painful) the effects of disruption caused by pandemics

Long before the pandemic struck, health experts had warned of a health epidemic — one that involved non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The last two years, however, managed to expose the frailties (the condition of being weak and delicate) of even robust health systems in the country that saw not one, but two debilitating (make (someone) weak and infirm) waves of COVID-19. It also exposed the chinks (a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable) in what was traditionally believed to be the armour of health care — institution-based treatment. When access to these institutions was severed all of a sudden, States had to introspect about how they could bolster (support or strengthen) their health-care set-up in ways that would protect it from such disruptions. For Tamil Nadu, this introspection resulted in its ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam’ scheme, a community-based intervention to tackle and treat NCDs and to address the crucial issues of prevention and early detection. Inaugurated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin earlier this month, it involves a tentative budget in excess of ₹250 crore. It includes population-based screening for the 18-plus population for 10 common conditions — hypertension, diabetes, oral, cervical and breast cancers, TB, leprosy, chronic kidney disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, mental health — and the delivery of hypertension/diabetes drugs to patients aged 45-plus besides to those with restricted or poor mobility. The State, which has a high burden of NCDs, also acted on data that indicated very low community control rates for hypertension (7.3%) and diabetes (10.8%) among patients.

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Once the tenacious (tending to keep a firm hold of something) link between NCDs such as uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, and COVID-19 outcomes was apparent, it became clear that control of these health parameters was paramount and would necessitate uninterrupted access to health-care services. According to the India: Health of the Nation’s States report, in 2016, 55% of the total disease burden in India was caused by NCDs, with the burden of NCDs increasing across all States from 1990 to 2016. The disruption of access to health care during the pandemic did affect compliance to drug regimens, and led to uncontrolled disease, with implications for quality of life too. It is ideal that nations prepare themselves to face further epidemics that might occur and cause similar disruptions in society by arming themselves to overcome such drawbacks. The Tamil Nadu initiative is a well-meaning notch (an imaginary point or position in a comparison of amounts or values) in trying to address this; the efficacy (the ability to produce a desired or intended result) of its chosen method of door delivery of drugs has been proven earlier with the supervised drug regimen, or DOTS therapy used in tuberculosis control. Ultimately, the success of a well-conceived programme rests in the proper implementation of each of its components. If Tamil Nadu is able to demonstrate, with this scheme, that it is possible to maintain the continuum (something that changes in character gradually or in very slight stages without any clear dividing points) of care even in the most trying of circumstances, then, here is a model that could inspire other States to follow suit (do as someone else has done).

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Hope you got to know some new words/phrases which will definitely be useful in the English section of upcoming competitive exams. Wishing you all the best for your preparation!

Want to improve your vocabulary further? Download the Lists of Word-Meanings of Previous Months here.