TN to expand type 1 diabetes care for children across all govt hospitals: Minister

Chennai, Nov 14 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government will gradually expand treatment for children with type 1 diabetes to all state-run hospitals, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday.

Currently, children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes receive treatment in seven district government hospitals, he added.

"A scheme to provide treatment to children affected by type 1 diabetes in Tamil Nadu was introduced by the late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in 2008. To date, 5,064 children ailing with type 1 diabetes are being treated under this scheme," the minister for Health and Family Welfare said.

Subramanian was speaking to reporters after participating in an event to mark World Diabetes Day, observed globally on November 14.

"While November 14 is celebrated as Children’s Day in India, it is observed globally as World Diabetes Day," he said.

"Soon after the DMK assumed office in May 2021, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced that treatment for children suffering from type 1 diabetes would be expanded to three more cities. Currently, it is being offered in seven government hospitals—Chennai, Thanjavur, Salem, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri and Tiruchirappalli," he said.

"It has been decided to expand this scheme to Tiruvarur, Namakkal and Chidambaram, where children suffering from type 1 diabetes will receive treatment at the government hospitals in these districts," he added.

Responding to a query, he said the scheme would be further expanded across Tamil Nadu with the support of voluntary organisations.

"Measures will be taken to gradually expand this scheme to all government-run hospitals across the State," Subramanian said.

Referring to the government’s 'makkalai thedi maruthuvam' scheme, which provides medical services at the doorstep of patients, the minister said 58.53 lakh people in Tamil Nadu were living with diabetes, while 54.75 lakh people had both diabetes and high blood pressure.

"In total, 1.13 crore people with diabetes are being treated under the scheme in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Subramanian said the ‘paadham padhukaapom’ (save the foot) scheme, launched in July 2024 by Stalin, aims to provide treatment through early detection of the disease and diabetic foot complications.

"In the last two years, about 45,000 people were identified as suffering from diabetic foot and are being treated under the scheme," he added.

Diabetes mellitus type 1, or type 1 diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.

Subramanian said, in response to another query, that deaths from non-communicable diseases in Tamil Nadu had ranged between 16,000 and 17,000 annually, but the figure has come down significantly due to various measures taken by the Health Department.

"Plans are underway to raise awareness of Health Department schemes to further reduce fatalities from non-communicable diseases," he added. PTI VIJ SSK