Excelsior Correspondent
CHENNAI, Feb 7: Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad today said diabetes in India was a matter of great concern as its impact will be felt more because of the lifestyle of its citizens.
Speaking to reporters during a child survival and development summit at Mahabalipuram, Mr Azad said, “diabetes in India is a matter of great concern. The entire globe is working on that. Even the World Health Summit and the United Nations also had special sessions last year for non-communicable diseases that are diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases”.
“So keeping in mind that diabetes is increasing globally and the impact of diabetes in India is going to be much more because of our lifestyle, my Ministry has already conceived a programme of early screening of our countrymen”, he said, adding “we have selected about a year and half back 100 districts from 21 States wherein screening of men and women above the age of 30 years and pregnant women of all age groups has started and this is in progress and we are going to add some more districts this year”.
On universal health screening of children, he said, “the initiative aims to provide comprehensive healthcare and improve the quality of life of children through early detection of birth defects, diseases, deficiencies, development delays including disability”, adding “the programme, which assures a package of health services, would eventually benefit about 27 crore children across the country”.
The children will be screened and provided medicine and if they need any secondary or tertiary healthcare that will be provided for free.
Addressing the summit, J&K Minister of State for Health (Independent charge), Shabir Ahmad Khan said that Jammu and Kashmir has recorded landmark achievements under health Sector and this has became possible by strenuous efforts of the State Government and liberal financial assistance provided by the Centre under the flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
He said that health indicators in Jammu and Kashmir have improved and are comparatively better than the national average. He said the TFR of the State has reduced from 2.3 in 2006 to 2.0 in 2010 and the State has been able to cross the stipulated target of 2.1 by 2012 under NRHM.
Mr Shabir said that Infant Mortality Rate has come down by 11.0 points from 52 in 2006 to 41 in 2011 against national average of 44 points. He said the Neonatal Mortality Rate has also declined from 39 in 2007 to 35 in 2011 in the State. He said that efforts are being made to reduce it further by laying stress on facility based and home born based newborn care.
The Minister said that a lot of efforts have been made in the last few years to upgrade the health care services to make them accessible, affordable, and client centered. He said as a result of which, the work load in the department has started growing and in the last two years, there has been a remarkable progress, not only in OPD and IPD but also in institutional deliveries and major surgeries.
He said that NRHM has proved a great boost in improving the health care services in the State and the efforts have been made to strengthen the existing peripheral institutions in terms of infrastructure, machinery/ equipment’s and manpower etc. to reduce the unnecessary referrals. 
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