Diabetes care at door steps (“Diabetes Rath”) with support from World Diabetes Foundation

National diabetes Foundation along with Diabetes Foundation India (DFI) implemented in the year 2015 to 2018 “Diabetes Care at Doorsteps”  known as “Diabetes Rath” with an objective to provide locally implemented screening, standard care, management, and prevention advice of diabetes for the underprivileged population of Delhi spread in 10 different locations in Delhi. The project pertained to create awareness about diabetes, obesity, lipid disorders, retinopathies, foot ulcers and other co-morbidities. It aimed to provide facilities for early detection of diabetes and co-morbidities. It teaches optimal dietary and lifestyle practices for prevention of these diseases. Diabetes Rath program had two specialised mobile van with testing facilities such as Anthropometric, Random blood sugar, Vibration Perception Test (VPT), Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), ECG, Retinoscopy or Fundus, Blood pressure. This provided a standard management of diabetes in customised Diabetes Mobile Unit where retinal images are being sent to tertiary care for further management as part of linkages with tertiary care. The project helped in increasing awareness and ensuring early detection of diabetes and its co-morbidities including foot ulcers, renal failure, heart attacks, blindness and stroke. Standard counselling, nutritional and lifestyle advice that helped in prevention of these diseases. The following were the achievements in this project:

• Conducted about 160 sensitization sessions in collaboration with local stakeholders such as political personalities, local doctors and school teachers and resident’s welfare association.
• The project has covered about 2,52,300 population with 260 mass awareness sessions.
• About 2110 people were identified having pre-diabetic conditions.
• About 8,215 people were identified with diabetes.
• Provided counseling to about 82,500 people with main focus on lifestyle education.
• About 140 volunteers are trained on issues of diabetes and complications.
• About 300 local and tertiary health providers oriented on diabetes related issues.
• Linkages with tertiary care centres established for those who needed further management.