Dr Ashraf Ganaie voiced these remarks in an exclusive interview with Kashmir Observer web TV “I was a part of the largest diabetes survey in the world, known as India Diabetes from The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), testing over 100,000 people. The proportion of diabetes and prediabetes in Jammu and Kashmir is higher than the national average, especially in urban areas like Srinagar,” he said. He added that diabetes has reached epidemic levels, particularly in urban areas like Srinagar, and townships of Baramulla, Anantnag, and Pulwama.
“Approximately 15.5 percent of the population in Jammu and Kashmir is prediabetic, while 10.5 percent are diabetic.
This means that about one in four urban residents has either diabetes or prediabetes, totaling roughly 25 percent. Nationwide, the diabetes rate stands at one in nine people, indicating that the prevalence is higher in Jammu and Kashmir.” There is a significant concern about prediabetes converting to diabetes, but it also presents an opportunity for intervention, Dr Ganaie told Kashmir Observer.
On being asked if the SKIMS institute prepared for the 'Diabetes Epidemic' he said that their department, with six faculty members, sees around 300 outpatients daily and each doctor manages around 50 patients, making it challenging to give thorough care to every patient. “Beyond treating patients, our mandate is research-understanding the risk factors driving diabetes. If we identify these causes, we can work toward .