All districts will soon have 360 degree metabolic centres for early detection of diabetes, Health Minister Veena George said in a statement here.
The metabolic centres are being launched so that complications related to diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy, could be prevented, detected and treated. Apart from tests to determine diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, functioning of kidneys, pulmonary function, the centres will offer diet counselling.
The government is aiming at providing all-round diabetic care under a single window and prevent onset of complications, the statement said.
The INDIAB study conducted by ICMR, in association with Indian Institute of Diabetes, has pegged the diabetes prevalence at 35% and that of pre-diabetes at 15%. The study also puts the control rate of diabetes in Kerala at 16%. The effort is to increase the control rate to 50%, the statement issued on the occasion of World Diabetes Day (November 14) said.
The Health department is in the process of completing its population-level screening to detect those at risk of developing non- communicable diseases. Already, 42 lakh people above 30 years have been screened, of whom 8.6% are at risk of developing diabetes.
Free diabetes treatment, including free drugs and insulin, is being provided through NCD clinics at grassroot level.
