4.6 mn to be tested for diabetes in Odisha

The Odisha government has decided to this year examine all people aged above 30 for diabetes in the state's 10 districts.

The government authorities will examine over 46 lakh people including pregnant women, elderly people, and patients of TB, HIV/AIDS for diabetes in 10 districts, Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said here Wednesday.

These districts are Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Khurda, Sambalpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Angul.

While the state government has launched National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in five districts to detect the disease, it will be extended to another 10 districts and later to all the districts of the state, he added.

About seven percent of the people have been detected being diabetic in five districts where the government carried out the screening.

The minister said the government is providing free medicine and treatment to the affected people.

Health secretary Arati Ahuja said the department is trying to identify the disease from primary-level and doctors were being trained to provide a better health care to the patients in the state.

According to sources, Odisha has 4.2 million diabetic patients against the country's 70 million.