10 January,2011 08:49 AM IST | | Astha Saxena
NGO Pehel's campaign creates nationwide awareness about prevention and care of gestational diabetes
The Delhi government will soon make test for gestational diabetes mandatory for pregnant women. Speaking at a conference organised by Pehel (an NGO of Jagran Group) that was attended by doctors from both government and private hospitals, Delhi Health Minister Dr Kiran Walia said the test will be made mandatory for all pregnant women so that the problem can be detected at an early stage. "We will also concentrate on educating women about the same," Walia added.
Delhi Health Minister Dr Kiran Walia, with Anand Madhab, National Head,
Jagran Pehel. Pics/Rajeev Tyagi
Pehel, in association with its parent body Jagran Prakashan Limited, and World Diabetes Foundation had conducted a nationwide awareness campaign titled "Mass Media Campaign for Awareness on Prevention and Care of Diabetes in India".
The campaign was intended to generate awareness among common people and other stakeholders regarding the prevention and care of diabetes with an integral component of onsite screening service delivery.u00a0 "Awareness and sensitisation of the community suffering from gestational diabetes is needed. With our various campaigns, we try to create awareness about the disease," said Vishwamohan Prasad, Chief Manager, Jagran Pehel.
Some of the doctors at the conference felt that immediate action would be of great help rather than wasting time on discussing symptoms on a large scale while others felt that creating awareness about the disease was also equally important.
"Gestational diabetes is largely undiagnosed. Rather than discussing symptoms with the patients, we should ask them to go for the test," said Dr Beena Bansal, Consultant, Medanta, The Medicity, Gurgaon. "This awareness campaign would definitely help as a large number of women are not aware of the symptoms of the disease and its effects," said Dr Anil Bansal of Indian Medical Association.u00a0
