Diabetes screening conducted at college

With India having an exceptionally high number of diabetic patients in the world, diabetes poses a mammoth health problem for the country.

This alarming increase has made the International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries call India the diabetes capital of the world.

With the disease having assumed pandemic proportions, there is a critical need for young people to be aware of both diabetes and its ramifications given that it affects everyone in society and not just those who live with it.

With this objective in mind, the PG Department of Microbiology of D G Vaishnav College, in association with Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre, organised an awareness programmeme on diabetes.

The programme included a lecture on ‘Diabetes – where we  stand now and where we will be in future’ followed by a free screening camp and consultation for teaching and non teaching staff of the college. Around 300 persons benefited from the screening camp.

The World Health Organisation estimates that diabetes and heart disease cost India about $210 billion every year and is expected to increase to $335 billion in the next ten years. These estimates are based on lost productivity, resulting primarily from premature death. It is sad that up to 11 per cent of India’s urban population and three per cent of rural population above the age of 15 suffer from the disease.

Dr S Narasimhan, the Principal appreciated the efforts of the department in organising health related programmes every year. The screening and awareness programme on diabetes is in continuation to last year’s programme on cardiac health.