Centre plans free glucose test for all
Health Ministry to launch the flagship National Health Assurance Mission
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-29 03:23 GMT
New Delhi: With about 67 million Indians suffering from diabetes, and the numbers growing, the government is considering conducting free glucose tests for the entire population.
“It is under consideration for quite a long time and we are into an inter-ministerial discussions,” science and technology minister Jitendra Singh said.
The aim is to detect the disease early. This could lead to better management of the disease and reduce the risk of complications such as kidney failure and blindness which causes enormous burden on society.
“We are number two in the world in terms of diabetes and soon we could overtake China and hence screening for the disease becomes crucial,” he said. It is estimated that by 2030, India will have around 100 million diabetics.
The health ministry has also announced its plan to launch the flagship National Health Assurance Mission, which would comprise assured health packages, including essential drugs and diagnostics.