By IANS,
New Delhi: In a bid to save two lives — that of the mother and the child, the Delhi government will make diabetes test mandatory for all pregnant women, state Health and Woman and Child Welfare Minister Kiran Walia said Saturday.
“By making the diabetes test mandatory for pregnant women, we will be able to make them aware about diabetes and its ill effects,” Walia said at the inauguration of the symposium ‘Diabetes Management in Pregnant Women’.
To further spread awareness, she said diabetes educators will be specially appointed from among the Asha workers. Anganwadi workers and officials at Delhi government hospitals will also be trained for creating awareness.
Walia also said that they will crack down on those falsely claiming to cure diabetes 100 percent in advertisements.
“People should not believe the content of such false advertisements. They should consult doctors and take prescriptions. Prevention is the best way to keep away diabetes,” she said.
Expressing concern over the increasing number of children suffering from diabetes especially in slums, Walia said that she will call for a meeting with all the heads of private and government hospitals to explore the possibility to help such children by availing them insulin and extending free treatment.