Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Diabetes-support services facilities available only in few city hospitals. Especially diabetics in rural India lack comprehensive diabetes care plan. NGO’s play key role in psychosocial-support/Counseling/rehabilitation in remote towns of India. Our Project aimed to formulate policy for trained personals to give better & cost-effective Diabetes-support services.

Methods: We mobilized training resources from local primary Health-centers. Training in Counseling & diabetes care imparted to nurses. Team consisted 2 social worker, 4 nurse & one physician. Local traditional faith-healers & community leaders involved for more effective diabetes awareness/education programs. Aim was to provide physical-comfort to patient, improve relationship with diabetics family members, gradually we prepared patient/family for long term diabetes care needed by patients. Discomfort/anxiety decreases overall treatment efficacy. 51 Patients enrolled during community out-reach-programs. Data collected on feedback-questionnaire. Most difficult tasks is discussing cost of long term therapy & non-availability of newer insulin preparations in rural/tribal areas.

Results: Diabetes Counseling/ support services must be made more accessible in rural-areas. Our NGO’s approach is also very cost-effective. Due to non-availability of trained-personal in rural areas this approach crucial in resource poor nations. We noted 86% responded favorably to counseling/nursing care programs, 79% showed willingness to motivate fellow patients to facilitate supportive-care-program of NGO-volunteers. Infact 17 patients themselves became regular active facilitators in our NGO’s Diabetes-care workshops. Our Holistic approach helped overcome hopelessness/fear depression. supportive care emerged very serious issue affecting QOL in diabetics. NGO’s need to Improve access to drugs by collaboration with national diabetes societies.

Conclusion: In no extra cost our NGO’s performed good job of Counseling/rehabilitation for diabetics. Restricted resource-limitations didnot permit us to take study large-sample-size, but we can collaborate with other NGO’s & diabetic associations for larger effort.