COIMBATORE: In the tender years of childhood, when the world is painted with wonder, the diagnosis of type-1 diabetes can unsettle both children and their families. When you are from an economically-backward family, survival gets harder because the medication can cost a fortune.
The beacon of hope for several such families is Idhayangal Trust, founded by Dr Krishnan Swaminathan. Swaminathan’s journey from Scotland back to Tamil Nadu was driven by a desire to make a difference. While working abroad, he had established the Trust in 2004 along with his colleagues, with a vision to offer medical assistance to those in need, back in India. Before quitting his job in Scotland in 2011, they spent around Rs 1.5 crore to help those in need.
“After returning to India, I joined a hospital in Madurai and during my first month in the job, a seven-month-old child with Type-1 diabetes was brought to our hospital after another hospital declared him dead on arrival. We admitted him to our hospital and all of a sudden, we saw a minor functioning in the heart and began the treatment. The child survived and we are still taking care of his needs,” said Swaminathan.
He said, around 20,000 children between seven months and 18 years of age suffer from autoimmune disease of type-1 diabetes in Tamil Nadu and these numbers are increasing by three to five percent. He added that the Trust now has 750 kids under its wings, up from 150 in 2017.
“Type-1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood caused by insulin deficiency and if left undiagnosed, it will lead to coma or even death. Timely diagnosis with proper treatment can help the child have a normal life. But the injection will cost Rs 3,500 to 4,000 per month which cannot be afforded by everyone. Hence, the Trust provides medical assistance of Rs 8,000 to at least 2,000 children in the state. We provide needles, pen cartridges, glucometers, and the glucometer strips. We also sponsor refrigerators so as to help them store the cartridges.”
Swaminathan along with his wife Dr Sujeetha Damodaran, a gynaecologist-turned-administrator of the Idhayangal Trust, worked at many hospitals and after quitting their corporate work, they started the Madhuram Diabetes and Thyroid Centre at Kalapatti in Coimbatore.
He said, “Most of the families find it hard to afford treatment. So, we treat people with diabetes with minimal charge, and medications for children with type-1 diabetes are free of cost. We have also started providing medical insurance worth Rs 2 lakh to high risk children.”
The Trust also empowers communities through sustainable initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of health disparities. Projects like ‘Kalvi’ and ‘Sakthi’ offer educational support and livelihood opportunities. The trust also provides 24/7 free consultation through phone to tackle emergencies in 20 districts, and mostly mothers of type-1 diabetes patients are trained to tackle emergencies and help others in need.
K Manimegalai (43), a Madurai-based single mother of a 15-year-old daughter, came across Idhayangal Trust in 2023 when her child was suffering from diabetes. She said, “My daughter has required serious medical care a lot of times as I could not afford her medicines. That is when we got in touch with the Trust and my daughter was given an insulin pump, that costs Rs 2 lakh, for free. Now they support her education as well.”
Recalling an incident that took place in Pondicherry with a 12-year-old girl, Swaminathan said, “She donated `350 from her savings. Many have donated to the trust.” The Trust is also conducting research to find the root cause of Type-1 Diabetes with the support of IIT Madras.