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About Us
DiabeticMatrimony.com is a social effort of Delhi Diabetic Research Center (DDRC), headed by Dr. Ashok Jhingan.
To Start with...
In 1985, when I started my practice as physician. I was called to see a young man of 28 years at 2 a.m. midnight. He was an obese man with weight around 90 kg and history of diabetes. He had been drinking at a party and had a heavy Dinner. After some time he felt heaviness in the chest and chocking sensation. All kinds of home remedies were tried for indigestion and then suddenly he collapsed and became unconscious. By the time I reached, it was already too late. He was a known diabetic who was not taking treatment regularly. Death of a young man shattered me & I kept on thinking how thus tragedy could have been avoided. People have wrong notions about diabetes & as a disease, diabetes is not taken seriously. And the reason is lack of awareness about the disease and its complications.
This was turning point in my career & I took a pledge of spreading awareness about diabetes in general public so that young & productive lives of the nation could be saved.
With this aim, the foundation of DDRC was laid & Delhi Diabetes Research Center started functioning on 5th Sept. 1990 at J-136, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110027.
Dr. Ashok Jhingan
Chairman
DDRC
ACTIVITIES OVER THE YEARS
INTRODUCTION
In the beginning, we Started organizing Diabetes detection & awareness camps in different localities in Delhi. All the blood tests & E.C.G. were done free of cost. In our awareness drive, the doctors would explain to the public about diabetes and its short as well as long term complications with the help of slide - shows and how the complications could be prevented with a little care and caution. This would be followed by Question-Answer session & the queries would be answered by medical experts from different fields in medicine like Endocrinologist, Cardiologist, Nephrologists and Ophthalmologist. The patients were encouraged to actively participate. We would also distribute literature and informative material about diabetes in Hindi as well as in English.
The Response of the general public was very encouraging and so we started organizing there camps in areas around Delhi like Bahadur Garh, Sonepat and Panipat and also in other cities like Meerut, Gwalior, Morena & Jodhpur. In all, one hundred and ten camps have been organised so for.
In 1999, Diabetes Mela was held for the first time at Talkatora Garden. Specialists from different Hospitals in Delhi participated and explained to General public about the various aspects of diabetes and its complications and how to prevent these. Various pharmaceutical companies also displayed their products. Diet exhibition was held and a team of dieticians and diabetic educators interacted freely with the public.
Many cultural items like dance OMI, and dramas were performed by diabetic children. The mela was very will attended and was much appreciated by everyone. In the following years, Diabetic Health Mela was held in Oct, 2000 & Oct, 2001. more and more people benefited from these and in 2001, 15000 persons participated and some people cane from far off places like Dehradun, Assam, Bihar and Rajasthan. In year 2002 and in 2003 this number was more than 20000.
For juvenile Diabetics, DDRC organize educational picnics. In these picnics Blood Sugar testing is also done along with the fun filled games. Parents and children can clarify their doubts & queries about insulins from diabetic educators. Psychologist. Prizes and awards are distributed for the best painting in the painting competition and also to the children who have excelled academically.
We have observed that over the years, These children have become very confident and self sufficient. We encourage and nurture their natural talents also. As a result of these, some of these diabetic children are doing excellent in studies as well as sports and cultural activities. Some children are doing very well in professional Colleges too.
A part from the Diabetes awareness programmes updating the primary care physicians is also very important as they are the one with whom the patients interact all the time. So very year, we organize update programmes for the doctor wit with DMA & other organizations. Leading Dialectologists of the country come and deliver the lectures to the Doctors, covering all aspects of Diabetes and also the recent advances in the treatment.
We organize Diabetes education programmes for the staff-nurses, Nursing aids and the paramedical staff. I am grateful to BECTON DICKINSON for their help & support.
We also have a children club, Diabetes Club, exclusively for diabetic children. This is a unique club where the older diabetic children encourage & take care of the younger Diabetes Kids. Smt. Sharmila Tagore, the noted film personality, has agreed to be the patron of this club.
Delhi Diabtes Research Center has adopted ten Diabetic children for the treatment. These children come to the center very second Sunday of the month along with other diabetic children. Apart from getting their regular quota of insulin for the moth, they also have psychological counselling and are free to discuss their medical problems with the Diabetologist.
The Diabetic children face problems in the school as the school teachers are not aware about diabetes in children and the day-to-day problems which these children can face in school, so DDRC keeps organizing diabetes education programme for school teachers. This has been appreciated by both the teachers as well as the parents of the Diabetic children.
In 1999, all the Diabetic patients organized a peaceful march at parliament street to bring down the prices of insulins. As a result of this, delhi Govt. was kind enough to remover the sales tax on insulins in the year 2000.
Another protect was launched to decreased the duty Glucometers and Strips which are used by diabetic patients for daily monitoring. Finally the central Government agreed to our demands & reduced custom duty from 25% to 10% on all Gluco meters and strips.
DDRC's GOALS & OBJETIVES
1. To create awareness about diabetes and its complications and to help and guide the diabetics in handling day to day problems.
2. Promote amongst the people the concept of Diabets self care.
3. Financial support to people who can not afford treatment cost.
4. Adopt Diabetic Children (for treatment) who can not afford the cost of insulins/ medicines.
5. Educated School teachers about diabetes so that diabetic children can be looked after well in school.
DDRC's AREAS OF WORK
To achieve its objective DDRC works in following areas :-
1. Training
2. Information
3. Education curriculam
4. Social Mobilization
5. Policy & Training
TRAINING
DDRC works towards training of health professionals and paramedical staff so that diabetic patients can get better care. They ca educate patients and his family to handle the day to day problems effectively.
INFORMATION
DDRC works to provide accurate information about diabetes, latest in the filed of treatment and also any research done in this field.
RESEARCH
DDRC conducts trails of medicines provided by multinational companies and dissiminates these findings for prevention and treatment of diabetes.
EDUCATION
DDRC works to strengthen basic curriculum on diabetes at all levels.
SOCIAL MOBILIZATION
DDRC supports Social mobilization towards diabetes preventions programme for all communities all over India.
POLICY & PLANNING
DDRC works towards development of sound diabetes education policies and also advocates for such policies with the Governments and other organizations.
In this part of report, year wise summary of DDRC activities is provided. The re[port includes only the key activities and includes the materials that DDRC has been publishing & disseminating from time to time.
PROGARMMES & PROJECT / ADVOCACY
1990
The birth of DDRC ( A specialty Diabetes Clinic), 5th Sep. 1990 at J-136 Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110027
1991 & 92
DDRC organized 16 diabetes awareness camps in different colonies of Delhi.
SUCCESS OF DIABETES AWARENESS EFFORTS
Despite the impressive achievements, there is a still a long way to go to achieve a real change at the Grassroots level. Many persons still do not consider diabetes a serious disease and avoid taking medicines.
Incidence of complications is very high. Remarkable change was seen in patients' attitude towards diet and exercise. At any time if the Blood Sugar was high, they were able to relate this rise in Blood Sugar with lack of exercise and diet control.
WHAT ARE THE HURDLES ?
One of the most important factor for non compliance was financial. As diabetes is a chronic disease and usually associated with other problems, large amount of monthly income is spent in purchasing medicines. That's why they opt for alternative therapy or even stop taking medicines, Expensive medicines are usually stopped after a few weeks. They have their own myths and ideas about Diabetes and its treatment and some times it becomes difficult to convince them. But regular persuation and counselling helps to over come it.
HOW TO HANDLE ?
Govt. should subsidize the cost of the se medicines so that more & more persons can take these medicines regularly.
Insurance Companies can help in this areas and in case of children, NGO's or MINC's should adopt some talented diabetic children for treatment.
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DIABETES AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
CHALLENGES AHEAD
The report lists out several successes and how these were possible and what strategies worked well and what are the challenges ahead of us!
KEY LESSONS THAT EMERGE FROM DDRCA AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Effective changes require long term campaigns and results at different levels.
Collaboration is essential to achieve these changes, while individuals have the key role to play.
While campaigns are essential, additional inputs are required to achieve results at Grass root levels.
Even through campaign start with a narrow focus, there is a need to broaden it at a later stage to achieve real changes at Grass root level.
DDRC awareness campaign in India has been on the forefront of coordinating a massive movement in the country during the last five years. Many organizations and Hospitals started awareness drives in different parts of country and they soon became strong advocated of Diabetes awareness campaign in their areas.
This work has been taken up locally at district levels with the training of Medical and paramedical staff through innovative ways & by active participation of Diabetic patients who have been having good control of their Diabetes for a long time. To bring long lasting changes, DDRC's awareness campaign is now progressing towards strengthening the basic education curriculum at all levels. Doctors who have good set up at district level are made incharge of that area to guide other Doctors and Nurses in this field. Providing accurate and consistent information to people is a challenge DDRC is taking up.
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