NGO to provide free insulin to poor diabetics

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) A medical technology firm in collaboration with a voluntary organisation Friday committed to provide free insulin to diabetic children from economically weaker sections and organising education programmes on Type 1 diabetes in the national capital.

Insulin manufacturer Becton, Dickinson and Company gave an initial grant of Rs.3 lakh to the Delhi Diabetic Forum (DDF), formed over 20 years ago to screen diabetes in people, educate them about the disease and research.

A committee of seven doctors from various hospitals and the NGO will invite references of children from the economically weaker sections of society who need insulin daily.

"Under this one-year DDF programme, free insulin will be provided to poor and needy children at their doorsteps. Special educational camps will be organized on a quarterly basis to educate the kids and their parents," said S.K Wangnoo, senior endocrinologist at Apollo hospital.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease associated with insulin deficiency. Children with Type 1 diabetes need insulin for survival as their pancreas does not produce any insulin hormone.

"This will go a long way in helping the needy and also cutting down treatment failures as the children will continue to take insulin, rather than missing out insulin due to lack of financial support," said Rajiv Gupta, chief advisor, DDF.

There are over 1 million juvenile diabetics in India. According to doctors, 27,000 diabetic children (2 to 14 years of age) across the globe die of the disease, with over 45 percent of them dying in India itself.