Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra (left) greets Melvin Oscar D’Souza of Novo Nordisk Education Foundation Bangalore, after signing of MoU as health minister Damodar Rout (centre) looks on at the secretariat in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 22: The state government today made agreements with two private agencies to curb spread of diabetes.

Kanungo Institute of Diabetes Specialities (KIDS) in the city will set up district-level diabetes care centres in public-private partnership mode and the Novo Nordisk Education Foundation in Bangalore will spread awareness among public about diabetes and train doctors at peripheral health care centres.

Health minister Damodar Rout said: “India is going to become the diabetes capital of the world by 2022, and we have noticed cases of diabetes even among poor and tribal population in the state. The move will help in providing efficient preventive care.”

Rout said Odisha would be the first state in the country to have referral hospitals for diabetes care in every district by 2016-17.

Alok Kanungo of KIDS said: “While by the next financial year, 15 district-level diabetes referral centres will be operational across the state, the other 15 will come up by next year. A centre will first start functioning in Nuapara district within a month.”

The health and family welfare department will recognise the referral centres at district level, so that patients can avail themselves of all health care schemes launched by the state government.

“Initially, four districts — Jagatsingpur, Khurda, Balangir and Nuapara — will be included in the project, and later, all the 30 districts will be in the programme. Besides screening and awareness among the patients on weekly basis, the experts will also train local doctors,” said Melvin Oscar D’Souza, managing director of Novo Nordisk India Pvt Ltd.