Press Release

Leading Diabetologist in the city stress on the need to build capacity in diabetes management

  • At a programme that signified the end of the certificate course on evidence-based diabetes management, medical fraternity highlighted the need to build capacity for diabetes management
  • The ‘Certificate Courses in Evidence-Based Diabetes Management’ (CCEBDM) were jointly conducted by Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), New Delhi
  • New certificate course in gestational diabetes mellitus was announced to tackle the increase in the prevalence of gestational diabetes in young mothers, impacting new-borns

Mumbai, April 5, 2014: Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai,in association with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), New Delhi,organized a programme of PHFI’s ‘Certificate Course in Evidence-Based Diabetes Management (CCEBDM)’ today. The occasion was graced by the presence of Dr Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, Dr L H Hiranandani Hospitals; Dr Sandeep Bhalla, Program Director – CCEBDM & CCGDM, PHFI; and Dr S M Bandukwala, Consultant Diabetologist, Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital and Dr. Sudhindra N Kulkarni, Eminent Diabetologist, Mumbai. The convocation certificate will be given to 20successful candidates who now join an informed cadre of public health practitioners with latest wherewithal in the field of diabetes management.

Chronic diseases disproportionately affect the economically disadvantaged, with 80 per cent of all non-communicable diseases (NCD) deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries. India is home to over 61 million diabetic patients — an increase from 50.8 million last year. By 2030, India’s diabetes burden is expected to cross the 100 million mark as against 87 million earlier estimated, making it squarely the “diabetes capital of the world”.

Recent outcomes of the phase I of prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in urban and rural India by Indian Council of Medical Research-INdia DIABetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study estimates that Maharashtra has 6 million individuals with diabetes and 9.2 million with prediabetes followed by Tamil Nadu (4.8 million with diabetes and 3.9 million with prediabetes), Jharkhand (0.96 million with diabetes and 1.5 million with prediabetes), and Chandigarh (0.12 million with diabetes and 0.13 million with prediabetes). Roughly, Maharashtra has as many people with diabetes as Mumbai's population of 1.2 million during the 2001 census.

The Certificate Course in Evidence Based Diabetes Management (CCEBDM), presently in its 4th cycle, is being conducted in 19 States and One Union Territory in India with 134 centres in 73 cities. This course has recently become the first globally recognized model to train primary care physicians in evidence based diabetes management and has been given recognition by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), making it the first-of-its-kind in South and South East Asia. Similarly, the Certificate Course in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (CCGDM) was recently launched pan-India and is conducted in 55 Regional Centres, across India covering 16 states, 1 union territory and 39 cities. These two uniquely designed pan-India executive training courses for primary healthcare physicians, obstetricians and gynaecologists apprise doctors with the latest developments in the field of diabetes and gestational diabetes management equipping them to deal with diabetes more efficiently in their day-to-day undertakings.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, Dr L. H.Hiranandani Hospital,stressed that there is a need to develop more innovative training and capacity-building programmes and courses to address public health challenges, especially for diabetes which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the entire region. He said, “The prevalence of diabetes is increasing at an extremely rapid pace in India and Maharashtra is no exception. There is an urgent need to build capacity in the area of diabetes management as Type 2 diabetes has become a serious health threat with exploding population and changing lifestyle. The CCEBDM coursedeveloped by PHFI is a pioneering concept that will surely enhance capacity of general physicians with latest knowledge in diabetes. Dr. L H Hiranandani Hospital has always propelled public health issues especially in the non-communicable and cardiovascular disease area and hopes that successful doctors take the responsibility and duty to secure a healthy future for generations ahead.”

Dr Chatterjeefurther announced that Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital will also undertake PHFI’s Certificate Course in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (CCGDM) to raise awareness and educate obstetricians and gynaecologists in the area of Gestational Diabetes management in young mothers, impacting newborn.

Gestational diabetes(orgestational diabetes mellitus,GDM) is a condition in which women without previously diagnoseddiabetesexhibithigh blood glucoselevels duringpregnancy(especially during their third trimester). Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) affects up to 15% of pregnant women worldwide and in India estimated 4 million women have GDM. Babies born to mothers with untreated gestational diabetes are typically at increased risk of problems such as beinglarge for gestational age(which may lead to delivery complications),low blood sugar, andjaundice. If untreated, it can also cause seizures or stillbirth.

In his address DrSandeep Bhalla, Programme Director, PHFI, expressed concern on the increasing burden of NCDs and cardiovascular disorders in India. “Diabetes and its complications represent a rapidly expanding public health concern that is expected to affect 552 million people by 2030 with devastating health and economic consequences. At PHFI, the focus has always been to build public health institutional capacity in India through interdisciplinary and health system connected education and training. Through innovative courses like CCEBDM and CCDGM, the effort is to scale, translate and transfer emerging evidence from clinical research to clinical practice so that doctors are equipped to handle cases on a daily basis.”

DrSM Bandukwala, Consultant Diabetologist, Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital and Regional Faculty for the CCEBDM and CCGDM courses,said, “The aim of Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital is to bring research into practice and evidence to clinical practice and we feel proud to co-host this unique initiative for building capacity of physicians in Mumbai. Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and GDM have become a serious health threat with exploding population and changing lifestyles, achieving an epidemic and a global public health threat status. We need to have a trained set of doctors who are equipped with the latest advances in diabetes management, and also follow the latest international and national guidelines, which these courses provide.”

About: Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)

The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is committed to working towards a healthier India. PHFI is helping to build public health institutional capacity in India, through interdisciplinary and health system connected education and training, policy and programme relevant research, evidence based & equity promoting policy development, people empowering health communication & advocacy for prioritised health causes. Established in 2006 as a public private initiative, PHFI is an independent foundation headquartered in New Delhi and its constituent Indian Institutes of Public Health (IIPH) set up by PHFI have a presence in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Delhi NCR, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) and Bhubaneswar (Odisha). The Foundation is managed by an empowered governing board comprising senior government officials, eminent Indian and international academic and scientific leaders, civil society representatives and corporate leaders. For more information please visit

About: Hiranandani Hospital

Located at Powai in Mumbai, Dr L. H. Hiranandani Hospital is a 240 bed multi-specialty hospital. It is the first NABH accredited multi-specialty hospital in Mumbai and amongst the first few in India.

Media contact

Ms Aasiya Shaikh: +91 9833 283 595 -

Ms Ankita Desai: +91 9967 857 264 –

Mr Rajiv Chhibber, PHFI, New Delhi: Mob: +919810426698