NEED TO MAKE MANDATORY GDM screening in all govt hospitals in Punjab

Ludhiana, January 24, 2013: In February 2011, Dr. Geeti Puri Arora, Consultant Physician and Diabetologist, Deep Hospital, Ludhiana with strong support of Denmark-based World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) which is represented here by WDF coordinator Dr. Karoline started a mega project on Pregnancy Induced Diabetes or Gestational Diabetes (GDM) in this part of North India with the aim of creating awareness regarding GDM among general population and health care professionals and also to motivate the concerned health authorities in Punjab to make GDM screening mandatory for all pregnant women visiting the government hospitals and health centers.

It was also decided alongside to screen 5,000 pregnant women in both urban and rural areas for GDM and educate them, their accomplices and other patients in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology OPD waiting areas regarding GDM.

These 5,000 pregnant women were to be taken from various hospitals across Punjab including Deep Hospital, Ludhiana, Sri Rama Charitable Hospital, Ludhiana, Iqbal Hospital, Ludhiana, Government Medical College, Patiala, Government  Medical College, Amritsar, Government Medical College, Faridkot, Chawla Hospital, Ludhiana, Civil Hospital, Ludhiana and various other private and government health centres.
WDF has always been at forefront in working for diabetes prevention and care in developing countries.

Addressing a press conference here today, Dr. Arora said she alongwith alongwith coordinator Raman Gautam have been regularly in touch with concerned government officials and bureaucrats for adapting the sugar check up for pregnant women as part of state health policy.

She further said the project also has a strong support of Dr. Allan Vaag, a world renowned Scientist and a Diabetologist presently working at Rigs Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark and also Dr. Leif Group from Sweden University.

Highlighting the achievements of the project so far, Dr. Arora said
screening of 5,000 pregnant women has been done. Besides, more than 500 women with GDM recognised. Out of these 75%-80% are being controlled with diet and rest with insulins. All positives are being regularly followed up. Family members are also being counselled and sensitised.
She further said more than 100 doctors, about 300 nurses, 500 nursing students and interns, 50 paramedics and 80 community health workers have been trained in GDM diagnosis and care in more than 200 training sessions across Punjab.

The achievements also included that more than 1,200 aanganwadi workers, midwives, staff in rural health centers, social workers affiliated to CDPO have been trained in basic GDM care, the awareness campaign strengthened by additional audio-visual demonstrations for general population. Posters, pamphlets, cartoon paintings, banners, hoardings at prominent public places  have been displayed. Also, special sensitisation activities were conducted and key message conveyed to general population on World Diabetes Day. Wall paintings and street hoardings to disseminate message on maternal and         Child health and management of GDM has also been done.

Dr.  Arora said they also visited Chandigarh, to meet recently posted health authorities who had joined the          office lately to inform them about their activities and project in the region. To pursue and implement  mandatory screening for diabetes in the  area, as has been announced by Health Minister, they notified the situation in different hospitals for reinforcement of the issue seriously.  

She revealed that written orders  were again obtained from NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) and delivered to PHCs situated in and around Ludhiana. Mandatory GDM screening has been started in all government hospitals in 4 districts namely Amritsar, Ludhiana, Faridkot and Patiala of the state.
She said various mysteries associated with the diabetes are expected to be unearthed in the course of this project, which can go a long way in alleviating the miseries suffered by diabetics. She said, women with gestational (pregnancy induced) diabetes are an ideal group for primary prevention. That calls for extensive family screening. Over the next 2 to 3 decades, there will be 80 million reproductive age women with diabetes in the world. Of these 20 million will live in India alone, creating a potential for extremely high rates of maternal and infant morbidity. Such collaboration between WDF, European scientists and Indian doctors is first of its kind in this part of the country.

Dr. Arora  emphasised that this project will not only help preventing women at risk for developing Diabetes in future but also deliver timely treatment for positive pregnant women. Not the least, this project focuses on prevention of inter-generational risk of Diabetes from mother to child, she remarked.

Replying to a question, she told that they wanted that the state government should made mandatory GDM screening in all the government hospitals across Punjab. She revealed that screening for a woman would cost mere sum of Rs. 40. But, screening would save a lot of lives of pregnant women and check abortions. She said they would be meeting Punjab Minister Bhagat Chuni Lal in Jalandhar tomorrow.

Interacting with the media persons, Dr. Karoline told that WDF was satisfied with the implementation of the project in Punjab. She said WDF was also funding for similar project in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. She said he had toured various places in Punjab to review the implementation of the project.