The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Ray of hope for poor young diabetics

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Monday, Aug 04, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Ray of hope for poor young diabetics

S. Rajendran

Insulin Lifeline programme launched for them

Under medical care: Ramu with his parents from a village in Nanjangud taluk of Mysore district

BANGALORE: Jnana Sanjeevini Medical Centre, comprising a group of medical practitioners and philanthropists, recently embarked on a novel programme of providing free medical care to young diabetics from poor families.

And one of the first beneficiaries of the programme is a seven-month old infant, Ramu, from a remote village in Nanjangud taluk of Mysore district.

Little did the parents of Ramu, who are farm workers, realise that their child was suffering from diabetes. All that they knew was that their baby was sick since it had stopped feeding.

After meeting doctors in various places, they were directed to the Jnana Sanjeevini Medical Centre where it was detected that the child was having a blood sugar level of 700 mg compared to the normal level of 120 mg. Specialists at the centre have put the parents through a course in handling their child, including injecting insulin.

That diabetes is no longer a rich man’s disease is true given the manner in which poor patients have been queuing up in front of the centre, which was set up in 1994. The Jnana Sanjeevini Diabetes Centre and Samavatam Trust is promoted by well-known endocrinologist S.S. Srikanta and trustee Padmaja Srinivas. They told The Hindu that under the Insulin Lifeline programme launched recently, 12 children from various parts of the State had sought treatment.

The aim of the centre was to provide medical care for at least 100 diabetic children. The Sarojini Damodaran Charitable Trust had agreed to sponsor the programme, and the cost of treatment on each child would be around Rs. 10,000 a year.

Dr. Srikanta said that after the initial diagnosis, the children were given medicines, including insulin, for three months.

A new dimension was being added to the scheme, thanks to some philanthropists.

The children were also being provided annual educational support, including school fees, uniforms and books.

Ms. Padmaja said: “Once the children are educated and get into productive life, they will cease to be part of the programme. Since 1994, we have enabled 500 children to be on their feet. Attention is being paid to poor children since those hailing from such families in rural areas die even before diagnosis. The symptoms are not appropriately diagnosed. The goal of the programme is to serve the deprived diabetic children to survive, be healthy, obtain education and grow up confidently.”

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