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Development of a Pilot Model for Care and Control of Diabetes and its Complications in a Rural Area of Western Maharashtra

Issue

Currently, there are around 53 million people in India who suffer from diabetes. By 2030, this figure is predicted to catapult to 79 million. Studies show that co-morbidity of diabetes is instrumental in intensifying health care utilisation and increasing health care costs. It is estimated that the average Indian would have to spend 6,260 rupees (in rural areas) and 10,000 rupees (in urban areas) for their treatment each year. Both prevention and treatment of diabetes is made doubly difficult in rural areas due to the lack of quality care at primary health care centres and district hospitals.

It is only recently that pilot projects have been initiated in some states such as Maharashtra, under the National Diabetes Control Programme in the country. Organisations such as the Foundation for Research in Community Health (FRCH) work towards evolving, supporting and promoting alternate models of health and medical care that can meet the challenges posed by social, economic and cultural realities and can be implemented widely.

Project

The Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation supports the Foundation for Research in Community Health (FRCH) in carrying out a project for the care and control of diabetes and its complications in a rural area of western Maharashtra. This project is being implemented in two phases.

Phase 1
FRCH successfully established basic services for diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in the project area. However, for a comprehensive model, it is important that affordable secondary and tertiary levels of care are identified to handle complications in diabetes patients. These are being identified at the primary level with the use of diagnostic pathology, ECG investigations and basic equipment such as BP machines.

Phase 2
In this phase, FRCH sustains and builds additional field-worker capacities for issues such as screening, recognition, emergency care, transport, post-operative care, counselling, and gestational diabetes. This is based on the principles of a self-care model. They simultaneously work towards increasing awareness in schools and other institutions and developing the concept of community kitchens for the provision of nutritionally correct food for diabetes and lifestyle afflicted (hypertensive/cardiac/renal disease) patients (especially the elderly without young household members) who have no means to achieve this.

Initiating this process of systemic absorption, FRCH is also linking up with public health services for the government’s gestational diabetes programme.

Objective

Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the challenges that hinder its prevention and treatment, the need of the hour is the creation of comprehensive diagnostic, care and prevention models for rural areas with elements of trained human resources, technology, and behaviour motivation.

Impact

In this phase, FRCH sustains and builds additional field-worker capacities for issues such as screening, recognition, emergency care, transport, post-operative care, counselling, and gestational diabetes. This is based on the principles of a self-care model. They simultaneously work towards increasing awareness in schools and other institutions and developing the concept of community kitchens for the provision of nutritionally correct food for diabetes and lifestyle afflicted patients who have no means to achieve this. Initiating this process of systemic absorption, FRCH is also linking up with public health services for the government’s gestational diabetes programme.

About the Organisation

The Foundation for Research in Community Health (FRCH) was established in 1975 as a non-profit voluntary organisation in the field of health care. FRCH carries out field studies and conceptual studies primarily in rural India to gain a better understanding of the factors which affect health services.