Directs health department to hold free medical camps

Chandigarh, November 13, 2014: Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjeet Kumar Jayani has directed the Health department officers to ensure a sustained awareness campaign on diabetes in Punjab as diabetes has virtually become epidemic in the northern India.

In a message issued on the World Diabetes Day to being observed today, the Minister said that the World Diabetes Day 2014 campaign marks the focus on healthy living and diabetes. This year's activities and materials would specifically address the topic of healthy eating and its importance both in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes and the effective management of diabetes to avoid complications.

Expressing concern over the rise of patients suffering from diabetes, the Minister said that that there are 382 million people living with diabetes worldwide. By 2035, 592 million people or one person in ten will have the disease. A further 316 million people are currently at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The Minister said that free diabetes camps would be organized at the gram panchayat levels where sugar tests of hundreds of patients would be conducted free of cost besides motivating the people to adopt healthy life style.

Meanwhile, Jayani said that all the state government hospitals and dispensaries were operational with latest diagnostic laboratory equipment and the medicines to patients have also been provided either free or on subsidised rates.

 

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