Govt signs MOU with healthcare company

PATNA: The Bihar government on Tuesday signed a MoU for an innovative project under diabetes management programme, “Changing Diabetes Ba-rometer Project” with Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF) founded by Noble laureate Novo Nordisk.

The programme aims to undertake massive diabetes control programmes in Bihar by creating mass awareness, screening, education and treatment to the common man along with helping those suffering from diabetes to lead a healthy and hassle-free life. Bihar also became the third state in the country after Tamil Nadu and Delhi to implement mandatory diabetic test for pregnant women at the government hospitals.

Speaking on the occasion, health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, “The project would be rolled out initially in three districts — Patna, Nalanda and Bhagalpur — covering the entire state gradually. As the country has largest number of people suffering from diabetes in the world, prevention is always better than cure.” tnn
He said special care would be given to women and children with free medicines being provided to them for the disease and its related ailments.

State Health Society executive director Sanjay Kumar said, “In India, an estimated 50.8 million people are suffering from diabetes, the economic cost for which is estimated to be 2.1per cent of the country’s GDP. The number is expected to further rise to 87 million in 2030.”

He said elderly people are more prone to diabetes and that non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, accounts for 42 per cent deaths in the country.

NNEF managing trustee Melvin D’Souza said, “In Phase-I screening and awareness along with training of doctors, para-medics and ASHA workers would be done while in Phase II, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) would be upgraded. Under Phase III, data collection and analysis would be done.”

The doctors would be trained by experts from Steno Diabetic Centre, Denmark, with an estimated target of five million people being screened in the first year for which six mobile vans would be pressed into service in the three chosen districts. The total estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 2.5 crore.