The Hindu : New Delhi News : Diabetes workshop for doctors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 13, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Diabetes workshop for doctors

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 12. A unique programme of training family physicians for providing a comprehensive approach to the problems of Diabetes Mellitus has been started by the Centre for Diabetes & Lifestyle Diseases at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Medical Sciences in Kalkaji here.

The programme, which comprised an interactive weekly workshop of two-and-a-half hours each, has been continuing since July 14 and the concluding workshop for the first phase will be held on August 14. The workshops sought to highlight the changing concept in diagnosis and management of diabetes and the various drugs used to treat high blood sugar.

The faculty consisted of diabetologists from the teaching fraternity as well as practicing diabetologists in the city and it provided the latest knowhow in the diagnosis and management of diabetes and practical tips regarding how to manage patients in difficult situations.

The Medical Director of the Centre, Y.P. Munjal, said such workshops will be conducted for the family physicians practicing in various other parts of the city so that the medical fraternity is geared to fight this epidemic.

Noting that the prevalence of diabetes is increasing at a fast pace of around 12 per cent annually, Dr. Munjal said India shall have the dubious distinction of being "home of largest number of diabetics'' -- nearly 6 crores -- in the next 20 years. The disease reduces the life span by about five to 10 years and the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease goes up four times in diabetics.

"Indeed this dual epidemic is going to cost the country not only in terms of money, but also loss of important human resource to the extent of 1.9 million disability life years,'' he warned.

However it is not a lost case yet. "Though there has been a phenomenal increase in the incidence of diabetes and its complications; yet there has been an equally stupendous progress in understanding diabetes as a disease and many new modalities of treatment have emerged,'' he said, adding that "the medical fraternity is now better armed to investigate and provide effective aggressive holistic treatment for this chronic crippling disease.''

And it was to provide a synchronized comprehensive seamless care to diabetics that the Centre for Diabetes & Lifestyle Diseases thought it prudent to train the family physicians to provide updated comprehensive treatment to diabetics at their doorstep so that the costly complications could be effectively prevented.

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