Press Release

Medical fraternity stresses the need to build capacity in the area of Diabetes management at the joint Convocation ceremony of the ‘Certificate Courses in ‘Evidence Based Diabetes Management’ (CCEBDM) and ‘Gestational Diabetes Miletus’ (CCGDM)

Jointly organised by Jupiter Hospital, Thane and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), New Delhi, a total number of 74 successful candidates join an informed cadre of public health practitioners with latest wherewithal in the field of diabetes management.

Launch of the Advanced Certificate course in Prevention and Management of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease announced.

Thane 27th April 2014: Jupiter Hospital, Thane in consonance with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) organized a joint Convocation programme of PHFI’s ‘Certificate Course in Evidence Based Diabetes Management (CCEBDM)’ and Certificate Course in Gestational Diabetes Miletus in Thane today. Present on the occasion was Chief Guest Dr. Sanjay Oak Vice chancellor Dr. D.Y. Patil University NaviMumbai, Guest of Honour Dr. H. B. ChandaliaSenior Diabetologist at Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, Special guest Dr. Ajay Thakkar CEO, Jupiter Hospital, Thane along with Dr Sandeep Bhalla, Program Director – CCEBDM & CCGDM, PHFI, Dr Benny Negalurand Dr. Vijay NegalurEminent Diabetologist,Thane and Regional Faculty PHFI. Convocation certificates were given to a total number of 74 successful candidates, who now join an informed cadre of public health practitioners with latest wherewithal in the field of diabetes management. At the occasion, the launch of the Advanced Certificate course in Prevention and Management of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease was also announced, which will further enhance the core competencies of Physicians to address prevention of diabetes in patients with Chronic Heart Diseases. This will enable early diagnosis and prompt referrals of patients and establish a referral linkage pattern, further fortifying efforts to address the enormity of this disease in a comprehensive manner among medical fraternity.

Chronic diseases disproportionately affect the economically disadvantaged, with 80 per cent of all NCD deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries. India is home to over 61 million diabetic patients — an increase from 50.8 million last year. By 2030, India’s diabetes burden is expected to cross the 100 million mark as against 87 million earlier estimated. India’s diabetes burden is second to China, which has 90 million people with diabetes (2011) that will increase to about 130 million by 2030.

Recent outcomes of the phase I of prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in urban and rural India by Indian Council of Medical Research-INdiaDIABetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study estimates that Maharashtra has 6 million individuals with diabetes and 9.2 million with prediabetes followed by Tamil Nadu (4.8 million with diabetes and 3.9 million with prediabetes), Jharkhand (0.96 million with diabetes and 1.5 million with prediabetes), and Chandigarh (0.12 million with diabetes and 0.13 million with prediabetes). Roughly, Maharashtra has as many people with diabetes as Mumbai's population of 1.2 million during the 2001 census.

While handing over Convocation certificates to the successful doctors Chief Guest Dr. Sanjay Oak Vice chancellor Dr. D.Y. Patil University NaviMumbaiin his address stressed that there is a need to develop more innovative training and capacity building programmes and courses to address public health challenges, especially diabetes which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the entire region. He said, “The prevalence of diabetes is increasing at an extremely rapid pace in India and Maharashtra is no exception. There is an urgent need to build capacity in the area of Diabetes management as Type 2 Diabetes has become a serious health threat with exploding population and changing lifestyle, further leading to the prevalence of gestational diabetes in young mothers, impacting the new-born. Both the CCEBDM and CCGDM courses developed by PHFI are a pioneering concept that will surely enhance capacity of general Physicians, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists with latest knowledge in Diabetes treatment, thus furthering the cause of treating diabetes to a large number of individuals, families and communities in this region.”

While congratulating successful doctors on successfully completing the course,

Guest of Honour Dr. H. B. ChandaliaSenior Diabetologist at Jaslok Hospital, Mumbaiin his addresses emphasized the importance of continuity of care in a chronic disease like diabetes and to address this challenge path breaking initiatives such as computerized program that incorporates all the clinical features of a case, investigations, diagnosis and treatment should be inbuilt to train physicians in large scale. “Establishing continuity of care will permit doctors to follow recommended practice protocols: like a complete cardiovascular, renal, retinal and neurological evaluation annually and a blood sugar plus HbA1c once every quarterly. It is through such trainings that trainees get to develop a good medical record system, which can be assessed in a matter of minutes for advice to patients in case of emergency. An effort in this direction by PHFI, and senior regional physicians like Dr Negalur is a fruitful attempt which will go a long way in strengthening the public health system and needs.”

Special guest Dr. Ajay Thakkar CEO, Jupiter Hospital, Thane in his address said that “Jupiter Hospital has always been sensitive towards public health issues especially in the non-communicable and cardiovascular diseases area. I hope that successful doctors today take the responsibility and duty to secure a healthy future for generations ahead.”

In his address Dr Sandeep Bhalla, Programme Director, PHFI,while expressing concern on the increasing burden of NCDs and cardiovascular disorders in India said, “Diabetes and its complications represent a rapidly expanding public health concern that is expected to affect people with devastating health and economic consequences in the future. At PHFI, the focus has always been to build public health institutional capacity in India through interdisciplinary and health system connected education and training. Through innovative courses like CCEBDM, CCDGM and now the new course ACMDC, the effort is to scale, translate and transfer emerging evidence from clinical research to clinical practice so that doctors are equipped to handle cases on a daily basis.These courses have been received exceptionally well throughout the country and have gathered tremendous accolades not only from the participants and the academic fraternity but also by the International Diabetes Federation, proving to be torch bearers in the field of Diabetes Management.”

In his address Dr. Vijay Negalur Eminent Diabetologist Thane and Regional Faculty PHFI said, “I feel proud to co-host this unique initiative for building capacity of physicians in our region. Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and Gestational Diabetes Miletus have become a serious health hazard and are achieving an epidemic and a global public health threat status. We need to have a trained set of doctors who are equipped with the latest advances in Diabetes Management, and also follow the latest international and national guidelines, which these courses provide, thus fulfilling this gap for generations to come.”

Dr Benny Negalur, co-faculty and course coordinator emphasised that “Every third person in India is affected by this dreaded disease, and now with lifestyle disorders rising by the day, diabetes coupled with other diseases will become deadly. The need of hour is awareness, prevention, early diagnosis and its management. These courses are an excellent attempt to fulfil the aim of reducing the gap by training the medical faculty in the right direction”.

The Certificate Course in Evidence Based Diabetes Management (CCEBDM), presently in its 3rd Cycle is being conducted in 19 States and One Union Territory in India with 134 centres in 73 cities. This course has recently become the first globally recognized model to train Primary care physicians in evidence based diabetes management and has been given recognition by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), making it the first of its kind in South and South East Asia. Similarly the Certificate Course in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (CCGDM) was recently launched on 25th August 2013 Pan-India and is conducted in 55 Regional Centres, across India covering 16 states, 1 union territory and 39 cities. These two uniquely designed pan-India executive training courses for primary healthcare physicians, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists apprise doctors with the latest developments in the field of diabetes and gestational diabetes management equipping them to deal with diabetes more efficiently in their day to day undertakings.

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