Health centres to have diabetes clinic soon

Ritika Jha Palial

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29

Diabetics in the city will have a respite from standing in long queues at the PGIMER for routine check up this year. Physicians posted at nearly 51 dispensaries in Chandigarh, including the 10 ayurvedic/homeopathic dispensaries, are being trained to monitor diabetes patients in daily clinics.

The training programme that started in October 2014, under the Union Health Ministry’s National Programme for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), has reached half the way in imparting training to doctors of general medicine in handling non-complicated cases of diabetes. Also, the programme officer for Prevention of NCDs has mooted a proposal to start diabetes clinics at government health centres in Manimajra and Sector 22, in addition to GMSH-16, this year. These clinics will function on the pattern of the TBclinics, providing free of cost treatment and medication to patients.

“Diabetes is a life-long disease and patients are bound to visit clinics regularly. Our physicians are already equipped with the basic information on diabetes. But a more comprehensive training is being conducted for them so that all non-complicated cases are handled at primary centres,” said Dr Manjeet Singh, programme officer for National Programme on Prevention of NCDs.

At present, PGIMER is the only government institution providing treatment for diabetes (both complicated and non-complicated cases). Records at the PGI revealed that approximately 900 patients visit Endocrinology (for diabetes) OPDs everyday. “These include medium income group patients from Chandigarh, as well. Those from well to do families prefer visiting private superspecialty hospitals in Mohali,” said an official from PGI.