The Times of India             12.02.2014

Chennai mayor inaugurates free diabetes camps

CHENNAI: Chennai mayor Saidai Duraisamy inaugurated free diabetes camps in the city on Tuesday.

The Chennai Corporation along with Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre is conducting the free camps across the city as part of chief minister Jayalalithaa's 66th birthday celebrations.

The mayor inaugurated the programme at Pulianthope Kesava Pillai Park.

The corporation is planning to screen 66,000 people for diabetes. "We will conduct free medical camps in 1,260 slums, 40 parks across the 15 zones. We will also provide free medicines to those who have tested positive for diabetes," corporation officials said.

Dr V Mohan, chairman of Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, said a recent ICMR-INDIAB study shows that 14% of urban people and 8% of rural people have diabetes. "But unfortunately many people are unaware that they have diabetes. There is also a need for a mass screening to detect such patients," he said.

The civic body has screened 2,76,757 people for diabetes and 3,42,354 people for blood pressure and identified 60,124 new cases of diabetics and 50,614 new cases of blood pressure since 2005.