MillenniumPost
Bengal

Move to train, develop educators for better control of diabetes

About 70 million people in India are afflicted by a disease which is known to be a silent killer, diabetes. In light of the serious threat that this disease poses for the people at large, a state-wide initiative is afoot to celebrate September 5 not only as Teacher’s Day but also International Diabetes Educator’s Day.

The occasion was marked on Sunday in the city by the unveiling of a commemorative postage stamp by Dr S M Sadikot, President, International Diabetes Federation in presence of Biman Banerjee, Speaker, West Bengal Legislative Assembly and Dr Debasis Basu, President, Diabetes Awareness & You (DAY).

The whole objective of this drive is to spread awareness through diabetes educators to healthcare professionals (nurses, dieticians, physicians, pharmacists, mental health professionals and exercise physiologists) and even family members who can make a real difference in the days to come. The purpose of educating these healthcare professionals about diabetes and its management is to facilitate their capacity to provide best practice, care and self-management education to patients with diabetes and their families. “Going to a doctor once in six months is not good enough. The lifestyle of the patient has to be changed and regulated. We also have a module for diabetes prevention and care”, Dr Basu told Millennium Post.

Diabetes Awareness and You (DAY), a social welfare organization based out of Kolkata, has been working for the last 10 years to spread knowledge amongst the general population as well as healthcare professionals on modern ways to prevent and control diabetes. The organisation runs medical camps in schools as well as for the general public. Training of doctors and paramedics is also part of their repertoire. 

As part of their tenth year celebrations at Rotary Sadan, on Sunday, DAY highlighted the need for diabetes educators by initiating the launch of ‘International Diabetes Educator’s Federation (IDEF), formalizing the launch of ‘Asian Diabetes Educator’s Forum (ADEF) along with declaring the preparation of an online Diabetes (Modern Methods of Management) and Diabetes Educator’s Certificate Course.
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