The Government of NCT of Delhi is promoting diabetes awareness including the causes, symptoms, complications and treatments associated with the disease as knowledge is the key to its prevention, said Delhi Health Minister, Mr Satyendar Jain, at The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) event held in New Delhi today on the occasion of World Diabetes Day.
“Apart from raising diabetes awareness, the Delhi Government is also treating patients suffering from diabetes free of cost at hospitals and mohalla clinics,” said Mr Jain in his inaugural address at a conference-cum-awards on Diabetes Awareness, Prevention and Wellness organized by ASSOCHAM.
“Promoting awareness on changing lifestyle habits such as eating a healthier diet, indulging in physical activity, reducing screen time and others would help in keeping diabetes at bay,” added Jain.
He said that a myth is being spread that diabetes is incurable which is totally untrue and people need to be made aware that it can be cured if they change their lifestyle and make healthier food choices.
He also said that diabetes is a major public health problem which is fast approaching epidemic proportions in India as many of us remain tense and worried, have poor eating habits, lead a sedentary and inactive life. “If we are not able to control diabetes progression, it would bring down working age-groups' productivity, thus early speciality care and education would go a long way in controlling diabetes.”
Talking about the initiatives taken by the Delhi Government to reduce pollution in the National Capital, Mr Jain said, “We have taken a lot of strict measures to cut pollution. Earlier lakhs of diesel generators used to operate across the city during power outage, today Delhi enjoys 24-hour electricity supply which helped in bringing down the pollution levels. We also banned contruction activities, issued challans to the vehicles emitting smoke etc.”
He further said, “However like every year, stubble burning in neighbouring states increase pollution which is spread over one thousand kilometres with smog blanketing entire Delhi-NCR and going beyond Varanasi to Patna. But the government is committed to reduce pollution by taking stringent steps like odd-even scheme which is supported by the general public thereby leading to reduction in number of cars, traffic congestion and pollution.”
