PANAJI: The decision of the government in general and Health Minister, Mr Vishwajit Rane, in particular, to provide insulin free of cost to the diabetics in the state at the government-run hospitals appeared to have paid dividends as 90 per cent of the 3,200 diabetics have been able to not only control the disease but also been able to lead almost a normal life.

In an informal chat with The Navhind Times on Tuesday afternoon, Dr Edwin Gomes, associate professor of medicine department at the Goa Medical College, said the programme has been a boon to the patients and has helped most of them to avoid hospitalisation. He said that most patients were regularly administering themselves the medicines.

He informed that the programme was being closely monitored and most of the patients who have registered themselves with the GMC and other government-run hospitals (17 primary and community health centres and both the district hospitals) have been regularly following up the medication and have been able to lead almost a normal life.

He said that there was heavy rush to avail the facility in the first six months ever since the programme was launched on September 2, last year, and the number of appeared to have stabilised thereafter. Till August 31, 2010, there were 1,807 diabetic patients registered at the GMC, while their number in other government-run hospitals was over 1,400.

Dr Gomes said that only those patients who do not regularly use insulin and do not adhere to diet regimen were the ones whose sugar level has shot up leading to various complications. Of the 1,800-odd patients registered at the GMC 899 of them have visited the hospital for fourth time to follow up their cases, while 325 other had followed up for the eight time and 15 for the 12th time, he added.

Stating that prior to launch of the programme people used to get themselves admitted to the hospitals often after they developed complications, he said that after getting discharged following their cure from the problems they used to stop taking insulin only to get sick once again and get re-admitted to the hospitals. This has been almost stopped since the programme was launched, he added.

He further said that the patients need not come to the GMC for taking their quota of insulin since the authorities have allowed their relatives to collect the medicine. He said that the nurses and the staff appointed to collect data also guide the patients on how to take the doses of insulin besides telling them on their diet plan. He went on to add that those who do not want to take "shots" of insulin could take tablets instead.

In an attempt to check about the presence of diabetes among the relatives of the patients who accompany the patients, he said that their blood samples were checked and those found to be having problems were put on medication in order to prevent aggravation of their health conditions. He also said that a special storage facility has been created at the GMC where insulin doses were stored at permissible temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius.

Dr Gomes further said the youngest patient taking doses of insulin was a five-year-old child from Sanvordem, while the oldest patient was an 82-year-old lady. He said the aim of the medical fraternity was to reach out to as many people as possible so that all those suffering from disease could benefit.

He said that with a statewide monitoring system likely to be in place soon the patients would be able to get the medicine at any government-run health centre and need not come to the health facility they have registered.

An official of the Novo Nordisk, which supplies the insulin, said that most people who come to the GMC and other hospitals were unaware that they were diabetic and a substantial number of them had diabetic foot. He further said that ever since the programme was launched only two of those taking insulin have died due to some other complications.