kolkata: In a unique move the state government is going to open a juvenile diabetes clinic in the city adjoining four districts —South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly to ensure diabetes treatment for the younger generation. Juvenile diabetes clinics will be set up in all other districts as well in a phased manner.
Health department will soon initiate the process of setting up these clinics in the four districts initially. The health department has decided to provide diabetes treatment for children in the districts. It may be mentioned here that children are now-a-days getting affected with diabetes in large numbers in Bengal as well, like any other states.According to sources in the health department, juvenile diabetes clinics will come up in the four districts on a pilot basis. SSKM Hospital in the city provides a comprehensive treatment on diabetes.
There is no such facility in the districts. People in the districts that require specialized diabetes treatment, need to come down to the SSKM Hospital or they have to bear costs of treatment in private hospitals. Sources said that four clinics will come up in four different hospitals of those districts. It is expected that the clinics will be made ready in the district hospitals by the end of April. Barasat District Hospital in North 24-Parganas, Baghajatin State General Hospital in South 24-Parganas, Howrah District Hospital in Howrah and Chinsurah Imambara Hospital in Hooghly have been demarcated for the new initiative. Various city hospitals will be tagged with the project and they will also help the district hospitals with expertise. Barasat
District Hospital will be tagged with RG Kar Medical College while Baghajatin Hospital will be tagged with SSKM. Calcutta Medical College will share its expertise with the Howrah District Hospital while NRS Medical College will be connected with Chinsurah Imambara Hospital.
"Once these clinics are ready in the four districts, they will be able to cater a huge number of patients in the districts and adjoining areas. Patients will no longer be required to visit the city hospitals. The services will be further extended in all the districts gradually," a senior health department official said. Experts said that around 8 crore people in the country are affected with diabetes.
Around 10 per cent of the total patients are suffering from type I diabetes.
Out of around 80 lakh type I patients, only around 1.80 lakhs have been detected so far in the country.