Free insulin shots for children

Diabetic children from poor families in the city will be provided free insulin injections under an initiative by the Delhi Diabetic Forum (DDF).

Diabetic children from poor families in the city will be provided free insulin injections under an initiative by the Delhi Diabetic Forum (DDF).

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DDF, established more than 20 years ago to detect and educate people about the disease and conduct research, has formed a separate unit to organise programmes for children with Type I diabetes wherein pancreas stops producing insulin.

A committee of seven doctors and members of the forum will invite references of children from economically weaker sections who need insulin daily.

"Under this one-year DDF programme, free insulin will be provided to poor and needy children at their doorsteps. Special educational camps will be organised on a quarterly basis to educate the kids and their parents," said Dr SK Wangnoo, senior consultant, department of endocrinology, Apollo Hospital, and also a member of the diabetic forum.

"Type I diabetes is a chronic disease associated with insulin deficiency. Children with the type of diabetes need insulin for survival as their pancreas does not produce the hormone," he explained.

Type I, also known as juvenile diabetes, generally afflicts children at a young age and to survive the patient needs doses of insulin.

There are more than a million juvenile diabetics in India. Every year, 27,000 diabetic children (two to 14 years of age) around the world die of the disease, out of which more than 12,000 are from India.

"There is no count of how many die undiagnosed. Among those who are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, 70% come from poor families," said Dr Ashok Damir, vice-president, DDF.