Delhi plans a Centre of Excellence in Diabetes

The Delhi government is planning to set up a specialised Centre of Excellence in Diabetes and Endocrinology to promote yoga, lifestyle changes, and dietary modifications in managing diabetes and to conduct research on the lifestyle disease, officials said.

The proposed centre will be an autonomous institute offering specialised care for economically weaker sections and will extend the existing Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (DEM) at the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital, they said.

The project, with a financial implication of Rs 17 crore, has already been recommended by a committee constituted by the Department of Health and Family Welfare and is currently awaiting Cabinet approval.

An official said the new centre will provide advanced care to patients suffering from diabetes and endocrine disorders.

"Diabetes affects even young individuals, with lifestyle factors like obesity, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy eating habits contributing to the disease,” he said.

The centre will focus on promoting yoga, lifestyle changes, and healthy dietary habits as part of treatment strategies for diabetes, he added.

He further said that once approved, the facility will be the first of its kind in the government sector across the country, offering state-of-the-art treatment and referral services to underprivileged patients.

A proposal prepared by the health department will be presented to the chief minister for approval.

“Creation of an institute of excellence in this field will add substantial value to the healthcare services provided by the Delhi government through its hospitals by offering world-class referral services in a critically important area,” the proposal reads.

The DEM Centre, established in 2013 as a project under the 11th Five Year Plan, operates from a dedicated four-and-a-half-storey building on the GTB Hospital campus.

It was envisioned as a referral superspecialty centre providing advanced care, diagnostic services, research, and training in endocrinology. There were also plans to initiate super-specialty programmes (DM-level courses).

However, the pace of development of the centre has been slow and many of the original objectives remain unfulfilled, the official noted.