Changing The Face Of Diabetes In Odisha

By Author: Kanungo Kanungo
Total Articles: 4
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Life is not easy for people with diabetes. Given the fact that there is no known cure for this slow killer disease and that the medication available is only intended at keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal in order to avoid other health complications, it’s really important to take preventive measures. Any negligence can lead to dangerous complications like cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic renal failure, retinal damage and amputation.

Unfortunately, there are a few specialized centres In India that deal in diabetes and its cure even though the country has been declared as the diabetes capital of the world. The situation is no better in eastern India. Odisha itself has over twenty lakh diabetes cases and this is just the official figure. Considering this precarious sitiuation, in 2003, Cuttack Diabetes Research Foundation (CDRF) came into exixtence under the leadership of Alok Kanungo, a renowned diabetologist with extensive experience in the field of research, clinical therapy and counselling.

Kanungo has not only mentored a team of 12 professionals ...
... at CDRF to strategize various modules of diabetes prevention & care, the intensive involvement in promotion of research, innovation on diabetes prevention & care has acknowledged CDRF as the pioneer in diabetes research & innovation in eastern India. Last seven years of experience in the sector had enabled CDRF to innovate a six fold approach towards prevention & care of diabetes & this approach has emphasized publishing a series of research papers on possible future scenarios for diabetes and its strategies for prevention & care. The embodied focus towards prevention & care has driven the team at CDRF to campaign around Odisha in creating awareness on the personal and societal risks of diabetes.

The established operational office in six districts of Odisha with adequate infrastructure of 12 professionals have enabled the CDRF to run the innovative social health programs in organising training programs on better lifestyle management skill, yoga, nutritional management, eye camps, diabetic screening, dental care & foot care services for the prevention and care of person in diabetes. As an extensive focus, CDRF is advocating for drawing the attention of policy making in shifting the focus towards diabetic prevention & control.

This apart, thanks to the support of CDRF, in 2008, the first ever multi-speciality hospital on diabetes, Kanungo Institute of Diabetes Specialities came up in Bhubaneswar. KIDS has taken up a multidisciplinary approach to diagnose and treat all complications of diabetes under one roof. KIDS with the support of implementation partner Cuttack Diabetes Research Foundation (CDRF) has already organised 283 numbers of diabetes screening camps in 22 districts of Odisha and mobilised 2,083 volunteers across the State helping to bring consensus among the general public on diabetes prevention and care.

The sincere efforts being taken up by CDRF are bound to make life easier for people who suffer from this lifetime disease.

For more information about Cuttack Diabetes Research Foundation, please visit to KanungoDiabetes.com.