Kolkata: The Bengal model against diabetes in children, currently deployed in 15 districts across the state, will soon be replicated in other states across the county. The health ministry has included diabetes mellitus in children in the national health policy via the RBSK (Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram). The guideline document for the same, which was released last Thursday, has taken in many pointers from the Bengal model.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), also loosely known as juvenile diabetes, affects children and adolescents. While there is no cure for the condition, treatment including insulin, dietary and lifestyle modification can prevent complications, ultimately improving the quality of life of the affected.
"I am delighted to share that the Govt of India as part of RBSK version 2.0 has included diabetes mellitus in children in the national health policy and released a guideline document. This is based predominantly on the West Bengal model, which will lead to creation of one T1D clinic in each district of India in near future. Thanks to all concerned, including the extraordinary team of RBSK and NCD team and all others concerned, for releasing this document, which will improve lives of those living with T1D," said IPGMER & SSKM endocrinology professor Sujoy Ghosh, who was part of the technical expert group who wrote the document.
Designed and developed with the aim of early detection and timely intervention, T1D clinics in Bengal started as a pilot project in 2022 in five districts. It now runs across 15 districts across Bengal. This project has now earned the acronym of ‘Bengal Model' and it now has the support of various organisations, including Unicef.
Ghosh was one among the technical expert group for the national policy T1D that has doctors from across the country, including Tushar Nale, Bindu Kulshreshtha, Anju Seth, Smita Joshi, Vivek V Singh, Malvika Sharma, apart from Ghosh.
The endocrinology professor is behind the Bengal project. He and his SSKM team have also been upgrading the project from time to time by introducing new features for improvement. The model — operating across 15 districts through NCD clinics — focuses on detection, management through distribution of free insulin, referral and rehabilitation. Touching upon the lives of close to 2,000 children, it has narrowed the healthcare access gap for children with T1D in the state.