Availability and Functional Status of Essential Equipment, Tools, and Documentation for Non-Communicable Disease Screening at Healthy Lifestyle Centres in Badulla District, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for more than 75% of annual fatalities in Sri Lanka. The Healthy Lifestyle Centre (HLC) network is crucial in early detection and prevention, significantly lowering morbidity. Evaluating the accessibility, state of essential screening equipment, and documentation is key for assuring service preparedness.
Objective: To assess the availability and functional status of essential equipment, tools, and documentation for NCD screening at Healthy Lifestyle Centres (HLCs) in the Badulla District.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted at all functioning healthy lifestyle Centres(N= 53) in Badulla District in year 2022. Direct observational checklist based on the JICA - NCD Readiness Tool and WHO - SARA (2017) was used to collect data by principal investigator.
Results: Around 98 % of HLCs had BP meters, with 62.3% using manual and digital versions. All HLCs had functioning weighing scales, measuring tapes, and height measurement devices(stadiometers). Visual acuity checking tool called ”Snellen charts” were available in 69.8% of facilities. However, only 11.3% and 28.3% of facilities had Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) meters and tuning forks respectively. Glucometers and cholesterol meters were available in all HLCs, only 5.7% had urine reagent strips. Among those HLCs 94.3% had participant registers, whereas 49.1% updated follow-up registers.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Despite the availability of essential tools for NCD screening, several diagnostic and documentation gaps have been found. Enhancing inventory management, ongoing monitoring, and assuring a seamless supply chain are essential for improving preparedness and service delivery quality at HLCs in primary healthcare.