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Manipal Hospital launches social fund for underprivileged type 1 diabetes children

Our Bureau, BangaloreSaturday, November 13, 2010, 08:00 Hrs  [IST]

Manipal Hospital has announced a social fund for underprivileged type 1 diabetes children. The funding is being disbursed through Manipal Foundation which is engaged in supporting the needy patients to meet the high costs of treatment.

To commemorate the occasion and spread the message of awareness on World Diabetes and Children’s Day, the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics and Department of Paediatrics of Manipal Hospital has set-up a social fund for the underprivileged type 1 diabetes going by the rise in the number of cases.

According to Dr Shaila Bhattacharya, consultant paediatric endocrinologist, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore the fund will support free consultation and free bed, free insulin, free glucometer, diabetic alert cards, free 3 monthly HbA1C test, and annual screening for complications for type 1 diabetic children.

All contributions from the donors will be supported 1:1 by the Manipal Foundation. The patient will be referred by the treating Paediatric Endocrinologist to Social Work dept to extend the fund. Social work department will screen for the eligibility and the final decision will lie with the Manipal Foundation, she added.

According to the details from the Foundation, during 2009-10 the funding support of Rs.2.75 crore was utilized to support 750 patients. These included 100 cardiac surgeries conducted at subsidized rates at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, 100 cardiac surgeries at Manipal Hospital Bangalore in partnership with Rotary International, treatment charges to the tune of Rs.3 lakh each for seven cancer patients to undergo bone marrow transplant surgeries. In addition financial support was given to cancer patients to undergo chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, 25 paediatric heart surgeries were conducted in joint partnership with a philanthropic individual.

Monetary aid was also extended to over 40 children who were admitted to the ICU for pneumonia, dengue, H1N1 and other infections requiring at Manipal Hospital Bangalore. Around 10 new born babies requiring ICU care because of infection, low birth weight; other congenital problems were supported.

For the needy patients to meet the high costs of cancer treatment in early this year finance was offered for 4 cancer surgeries during the first three months of 2010-11 at Bangalore. At Kasturba Hospital Manipal and 30 patients in KMC Attavar, over 75 patients were supported for treatment of cancer in the year 2009-10. Between January and March 2010, assistance was offered to 40 patients diagnosed with cancer.

 
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