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Over 400 children suffering from Type 1 diabetes will be mentored by medical students for a year to help them overcome the disease
BILKULONLINE
Ahmedabad, Jan 6: The prevalence of Type 1 diabetes has gone up globally. Several factors are involved in the surge which also includes changing lifestyles and eating habits. It is a major financial, social, and psychological burden on families. Type 1 diabetes also affects children, limiting their activities and hampering their routine life. The children have to depend on insulin replacement therapy in the form of daily multiple injections or pump for the rest of their life. However, many complications arising due to Type 1 diabetes are preventable if the children are helped and guided carefully to manage the disease and undergo regular screening. In India, around 13,00,000 people live with Type 1 diabetes and every year around 1,17,000 new cases are detected. In Gujarat, around 80,000 people have this disease and every year around 7000 new cases are being detected.
City-based Swasthya Diabetes Care and All India Institute of Diabetes and Research have launched ‘Project Krishna’, wherein medical students have been roped in to work with children having Type 1 diabetes and help them defeat the disease.
Lord Krishna was the charioteer or sarathi of Arjuna in the great war of Mahabharata, and he played an important role in Arjuna and the Pandavas vanquishing the Kauravas. The undergraduate and postgraduate medical students who will be involved in Project Krishna will play the role of a sarathi of children having Type 1 diabetes and guide them to win over the ailment.
“Project Krishna is about medical students playing the role of sarathi for children to help them in their journey of management of Type 1 diabetes. We will provide all the training to the medical students to be involved in the project. The child will receive a personal mentor to manage the disease, while for medical students, it will be a great real-life clinical experience. We will provide all the necessary support to the students and the children,” said Dr. Yash Patel Director of Swasthya Diabetes Care.
Management of Type 1 diabetes among children requires resources in terms of finance, care, and efforts that are more often than not beyond the capacity of an average family. The average cost of medicines alone is to the tune of Rs. 2,500 a month, a huge sum for most Indian families. In case of hospitalization, the cost can go up to Rs. 20,000. Project Krishna is an endeavour and responsibility to transform the lives of children and bring them back to the mainstream.
The goal of Project Krishna is to establish a Resource Center for Type 1 diabetes patients to meet their needs related to the disease, starting from basic care to modern ways of treatment and to make the facilities available to the financially weaker population for free or at a subsidised cost. It will also help in providing better clinical care and preventing complications related to diabetes.
Swasthya Diabetes Care will adopt more than 400 children having Type 1 diabetes in Gujarat and the neighbouring states for Project Krishna. The children will be provided with free insulin, glucometer, and other medical supplies. One medical student will be allotted one such child for mentoring. The medical students will be connected with the child throughout the year and guide them in their journey of diabetes management.
Swasthya Diabetes Centre and All India Institute of Diabetes and Research will also organise meet of children suffering from Type 1 diabetes and their parents and psychological, career and marriage counselling workshops for them. Hundreds of children and parents have actively participated in such meetings organised by the Centre over the last 20 years.
Separately, Swasthya Diabetes Centre and All India Institute of Diabetes and Research have also organised SwasthyaCON 2023 from January 6 to 8 at Sardardham in Ahmedabad. The theme of the event, which will see the participation of national and international experts, is “Learning By Sharing”. Children with Type 1 diabetes and doctors providing care to such patients can benefit greatly by participating in the meeting on 8th January 2023 between 12.30pm to 1.30pm. To communicate regarding attending the meeting , Dr Krutik Nayak 9913362552 to be contacted.
Dr Mayur Patel , Chairman and Chief Diabetologist, Swasthya Diabetes Care and Mrs. Patel shared their rich experience with media.