Email
Print
ShareAhmedabad, Ahmedabad: The three-day annual conference of 'Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India' (RSSDI) that began on Friday will focus on educating the general public about the disease and its consequences. At the conference, people will be given free counselling and questions related to the subject will be answered by experts.
The conference was inaugurated by Gujarat Assembly speaker Ashok Bhatt at the Gujarat University Convention centre at university grounds. Bhatt said that Ahmedabad was one of the first cities to start publication of medical research papers. "Gujarat Vidya Sabha, a city-based education society, started publication of such papers way back in 1890. The project was funded by interest earned on debentures of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation,'' he said.
Bhatt also asked the delegates and doctors to focus on advantages of traditional Indian food habits while pursuing research on treatment of diabetes. Hailing the efforts made by RSSDI in the area of research, Dr Bela Shah, deputy director-general of ICMR, said:"Research is an integral part for treatment of any disease. It includes discovery, development and delivery of drugs. RSSDI being the largest association for diabetic research, is going to play a major role in this area."
The number of diabetic patients in India is around 14 million as of now, which is expected to rise to 88 million by 2030, said medical experts present at the event. Change in lifestyle, stress and lack of exercise is mainly responsible for the disease, added the experts.
As part of the conference, discussion sessions, lectures and interactive activities have been arranged. Four separate workshops are also planned for practical education. More than 100 research papers will be presented during the conference. Apart from that, an exhibition showcasing medicines, instruments and diagnostic tools has also been put in place.
Stressing the need to focus on treatment of diabetes, Dr Shashank Joshi, chief advisor of RSSDI, said that every year around four million people die due to diabetes.
RSSDI president Dr KM Prasanna Kumar said that apart from acting as a funding agency for research projects, RSSDI will also try to identify new subjects, where research has become necessary.
