In a four-way partnership with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai, the KEM Hospital and Research Centre in Pune and the PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mumbai, the Hinduja Foundation has teamed up to provide treatment and support to underprivileged patients of Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes.

The aim is to build awareness of the condition and support research into the disease. The project currently has more than 500 patients from poor socio-economic background.

As part of the programme, patients in Chennai, Pune and Mumbai will have access to diagnosis, medical consultation and insulin treatment. All clinical data collected, with the consent of patients, will be used for longitudinal reporting and correlation with disease progression, combined with related research for possible future publication in scientific journals.

The clinical data will be pooled to build a comprehensive picture of the Type 1 diabetes disease profile in India.

V Mohan, Director of MDRF, said in a statement: “Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent diabetes that primarily affects children and young adults. This has received limited attention and there are very few initiatives in the country to support research on and management of the disease.”

High dropout rates

He added that a huge challenge was the high dropout rates, “since most of the Type 1 patients are poor and cannot afford either the investigations or the insulin.”

Yajnik, Director, Diabetes Centre, KEM Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, said several Type 1 diabetes patients come to KEM's diabetes centre, but they can do a follow-up only once a year. “Till now we have struggled with supporting treatment; a major stumbling block has been the cost of the investigations and insulin because many can’t afford it.”

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