Keeping up with this year's theme for World Health Day 'Halt the rise, Beat diabetes', Punjab Government has decided to organise free blood sugar test camps in all district as well as sub-divisional hospital of the State on April 6 and 7.
Vini Mahajan, Punjab Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare on Monday said that these camps will be held from 7 am to 9 am on both these days, during which people can get their blood sugar tested free of cost.
However, it needs to be ensured that they come with empty stomach in the morning for the blood sugar test. Anyone diagnosed with high/low sugar levels / diabetes will be referred to the Medical Specialists for advice and if needed, the medicines would also be given free of cost, she said.
Mahajan said that as per ICMR study the prevalence rate of Diabetes is 9.8 % in Punjab. A lot of emphasis is being laid upon prevention of life style diseases in the state through education and awareness generation to maintain a healthy life style.
She informed that symptoms of diabetes may include frequent urge of thirst and urination, fatigue weakness, delayed healing of wounds, unexplained weight loss, numbness in hands or feet etc. Anyone having such symptoms should get the requisite investigations done from the nearest health institution.