JAMMU: Cementing its commitment towards managing Type 1 diabetes (T1D) among children in India, Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF) – a NGO established by Novo Nordisk India – added one more Centre of Excellence (CoE) with Government Medical College, Jammu on Sunday.
As per the statement, NNEF has been supporting sustainable care for people living with T1D through Centres of Excellence in close partnership with state governments and prestigious medical colleges. In this context, NNEF has now developed eight CoEs with various state governments, including this one at Jammu.
As a public-private partnership, this CoE will cater to the immediate need of building capacity and capability to fulfil the unmet needs of people living with T1D in the country. It will provide holistic care through a host of services, including a dedicated dietician for consultation, doctors for regular health check-ups, diabetes monitoring, laboratory tests and efforts to strengthen the overall T1D care ecosystem.
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Lauding the development, Vikrant Shrotriya – Managing Trustee, Novo Nordisk Education Foundation said, “We are delighted to inaugurate yet another Centre of Excellence in India. According to a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, India has around 101 million people living with diabetes and another 136 million people in pre-diabetes stages.
[1] There are over 8.6 lakh people living with T1D in India, of which 2.8 lakh individuals are below the age of 20 years.
[2] It is therefore critical to increase awareness at the grass-root level in India, to help with early diagnosis. We are actively fostering collaborations with government institutions, health authorities and policymakers for better management of diabetes in the country. This collaboration aligns with our vision to improve accessibility through capacity and capability building. We remain committed to fostering healthcare excellence and strengthening the diabetes care system in India.”
Dr Ashutosh Gupta – Principal & Dean, GMC, Jammu expressed his gratitude to NNEF and said, “We would like the people of Jammu to know about this special clinic curated to provide quality care for people living with Type 1 diabetes, and benefit from the integrated care available at the institute. It is a proud moment for us as we work to support this initiative. According to Indian Pediatr 2019, the exact prevalence of T1D in India is not known, however, it is much higher as compared to the western population.”
Dr Suman Kotwal – Head of Department, Endocrinology, GMC, Jammu lauded this effort and said, “As a recognised state public health institute, we are glad to collaborate with NNEF and provide improved care for people living with diabetes. Despite the severe medical consequences, awareness around Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes continues to be limited in Jammu. With the provision of a holistic care model, we hope to gain improved diagnosis and help people timely initiate their diabetes management journey.”
The Centres of Excellence (CoE) are part of NNEF’s focused strategic approach towards sustainable care. These public-private partnerships between Novo Nordisk Education Foundation and leading public healthcare institutions across the nation are geared towards re-shaping diabetes care, promoting healthier lives and empowering communities to continue the work towards defeating this life-threatening disease.
