HP health min emphasises need to create diabetes awareness

Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur today called for creating awareness about diabetes and said the "fast spreading" disease can be prevented and cured by taking precautionary measures.

Inaugurating a two-day conference of"HP Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI)" at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here, Thakur said six per cent of the global and seven per cent of the Indian population was suffering from diabetes and such patients suffer from multi-system disorder.

Stressing that diabetes could be controlled by taking precautionary measures like following disciplined life style and proper diet, he said the problem was that 50 per cent of the patients are unaware of their disease.
 

He said the state government was committed to provide quality medicines and health services to people anda number of new health institutions have been opened and upgraded in rural areas.

The health indicators of Himachal were much better as compared toother states of the country, Thakur said, adding, "It is a cause of concern that diabetes is spreading fast in rural areas and even youth and women were suffering from the disease."

He said despite Himachal being an agrarian hilly state, diabetes was spreading rapidly and tribal areas were not an exception in reporting such cases.