Mittayi scheme to assist juvenile diabetic patients

KOCHI: Health minister K.K. Shylaja on Thursday announced the Mittayi (Sweets) Project which aims at providing free modern treatment for juvenile diabetes patients (Type I diabetes) under the Kerala Social Security Mission (KSSM). Under the scheme, glucometer and insulin pump will be provided to the children.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that a total of 150 children registered in the diabetes centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha and Kozhikode Medical Colleges would be covered in the first phase while another 150 children would be identified later for extending the free treatment. Those having an annual income of '2 lakh will be covered under the scheme. “We have launched the scheme to help these children to return to normalcy,” the minister said.

A sum of Rs 1 lakh is earmarked for each child while it would go up to Rs 5 lakh according to the severity of the disease. The minister said that this step has been initiated after realising that several children were identified with the disease late which led to complications. A sum of '2 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme this year.

The minister also said that the services of an MSc nurse and a dietician will be provided at the diabetes centres in the medical colleges. “If more children with the disease are identified, they too will be brought under the scheme,” the minister said adding parents will be given training to control the disease in children. The minister called up on various social organisations and individuals  to give financial assistance to the scheme.