Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) has decided to put on trial a non-invasive device for screening diabetes risk.
It plans to screen at least 5,000 persons in and around Chennai, till World Diabetes Day on November 14, through medical camps and at its outpatient department.
V. Kanagasabai, director of medical education and dean of GH, said there was no needle prick or need for fasting for testing for diabetes using the new device — EZSCAN.
“We came across this apparatus during an exhibition in Delhi in August. So, we tied up with the manufacturer and brought this machine here. It was put to use at a free diabetes screening camp in Mugalivakkam on Tuesday,” he said.
A total of 88 persons were screened using the device at the camp. “People have to place their hands and feet on electrodes and their height, weight and age is registered. The device will give the results in 2 minutes based on sweat secretion,” he said.
Based on the analysis of sweat secretion, the results are classified into four — green colour, for no risk of diabetes for at least one year, yellow colour, for moderate risk, orange colour, for high risk and red colour, for very high risk.
“We want to check the sensitivity and efficiency of the machine and its findings. We will put the device to use at five or six free screening camps across the city and suburbs, including in Tiruvottiyur and Tambaram, and also at GH’s outpatient department. We will also take routine blood samples to compare the results,” Dr. Kanagasabai said.
The device costs around Rs. 20 lakh and the hospital will decide on purchasing it only after a thorough study of its efficiency. “We will complete the study by November 14. If it is found to be effective, we will send a proposal to the government to purchase the device for government hospitals. We can use it for mass screening. It is an easy method and gives quick results,” he said.
