Hyderabad: Providing succour to juvenile diabetics

Hyderabad: DAY (Diabetes and You) Society is reaching out to underprivileged children suffering from Type 1 diabetes and providing assistance and creating awareness on the ailment. It conducted a health check up and awareness camp on Sunday in Aurora Colony.

"Our goal is to empower people with diabetes by providing them information and advising them on dietary habits. We also provide medication and insulin, and conducting blood glucose tests for the children who couldn't afford treatment. So far DAY has been supporting 30 children," said Dr Ch Vasanth Kumar, Founder, DAY Society.

Talking about the financial aid, Vasanth said, "I used to do it with my own family resources at the beginning and later Dr Ali from USA through Priya Kosalram helped us by paying for insulin which we buy at concessional prize. This year Dr Jasti of Suven Life Sciences supported with funds which is the first time from a corporate in last 20 years. Each child costs around 800 to 1000 per month.

Many friends helped in the past when I used to run the free clinic in Dr Nasrin Hussain's premises is Banjara hills. Initially, we helped 5 children and now we could help 30 children. Senior retired civil servants like KR Venugopal, Late Rajamani , Justice NV Ramana and Chalasani Ramesh helped me in the past when I used to spend about 8k to 10 K per month."

Vasanth is a well-known physician in the city, who specialises in treating diabetes. His observations during his practice over last two decades have convinced him that a total lack of awareness of healthy eating habits, and hereditary factors was contributing to the alarming rise in diabetic patients globally.

He firmly believes that these figures can be greatly reduced with more awareness, early intervention leading to prevention and better management of the disease. He was deeply concerned about the debilitating effects this disease had on young children.

DAY was founded by Dr Ch Vasanth Kumar in 1999 to enable economically and socially deprived children and adults to avail affordable or free treatment and counseling support in the management of diabetes.

Now, it has a team of doctors and other trained professionals and volunteers who support kids in medical aid. The society provides Insulin, glucose strips apart from providing medical consultations and counseling. All material and services are provided free of cost.