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.