TN urges Central govt's nod to start MD course in Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolism

Tamil Nadu has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya requesting approval to start a new course in MD Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolism.

Ma Subramanian, Tamil Nadu Minister for Medical and Family Welfare, has written to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to request the approval to start a new course in MD Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolism.

The letter has highlighted that diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that contributes hugely to health expenditure for both the individual and government. It also added that diabetes in India was next only to China with a prevalence of 7.7 crores in addition to 7.5 crore people diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

The letter reads, "If urgent preventive measures are not undertaken, most of these pre-diabetics will rapidly progress to frank diabetes, thus increasing the burden for the country. In Tamil Nadu, the prevalence of diabetes was about 10.4 per cent."

"Starting an MD (Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolism) course will increase the number of professional health-care providers available in this specialty. This will help in successful implementation of the state and central government's policy of creating diabetes care units in health care centres in the state and the country. We propose and request the National Medical Commission to include MD (diabetology, nutrition and metabolism) degree course nomenclature in the NMC schedule, thus enabling us to upgrade Diploma in Diabetology seats to MD degree seats and also commence this course in other institutions in Tamil Nadu," the letter added further, as reported by India Today.

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