An official said specialised care centres have started functioning at seven institutions in Tamil Nadu, and 13 more are to be established. Image used for representational purposes only
A little over a year after its launch, Tamil Nadu’s Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) Registry has enrolled 5,064 children till now. Simultaneously, the State established Type 1 Diabetes Specialised Care Centres at seven government medical colleges, with three more in the pipeline, and plans to expand to 13 more medical colleges.
According to health officials, the State government, under the National Health Mission (NHM) – Tamil Nadu, established the State-level TIDM registry, recognising the urgent need for structured data and care. Launched in August 2024, the registry serves as a critical tool in improving survival rates, ensuring continuity of care, and enhancing the quality of life for children and adolescents with T1DM in the State. Children with Type 1 diabetes treated at both government and private hospitals are being registered.
Caring for children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus are at risk of developing acute life-threatening complications such as hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis
In the long run, sub-optimal metabolic control may lead to poor growth and early onset of vascular complications and even mortality
Regular glucose monitoring and adequate insulin supplementation are mandatory for reducing morbidity and mortality arising in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Source: National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu and Policy Note of Health and Family Welfare Department 2025-2026
What the registry does
The registry has multiple purposes, officials said. According to G. Jerard Maria Selvam, Additional Director, NHM, Tamil Nadu, the registry raises awareness among healthcare professionals on T1DM to ensure their participation, assesses district-wise disease burden and trends, and strengthens the healthcare system to ensure uninterrupted access to essential care for all children with T1DM. It also facilitates maintenance of data to support evidence-based policy making and set public health priorities, and to plan insulin supply and comprehensive outpatient services.
The care centres
The Type 1 Diabetes Specialised Care Centres, established by NHM in partnership with an NGO, function at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Chennai, and in government medical college hospitals at Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri and Namakkal as public private partnerships. Three more centres at Cuddalore, Theni and Tiruvarur are in the pipeline.
A. Arun Thamburaj, Mission Director, NHM, Tamil Nadu said the specialised care centres have started to function at seven institutions, and 13 more will be established. “We will have these centres in 20 medical college hospitals in the next six months. Our target is to have such centres at all medical colleges over a period of time,” he said.
What the registry does
The registry aims at ensuring better health outcomes and improving the quality of life of patients
It was developed in the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam portal to facilitate long-term care, track patient outcomes, optimise resource allocation and improve referral pathways
Efforts initiated under NHM-TN include ensuring availability of essential insulin including newer analogues, with necessary consumables for those who are diagnosed and registered in the Type 1 DM Registry
Steps include adoption of analogue insulin cartridges with refill pens as the preferred mode of treatment to ensure effective diabetic control and minimise complications
Source: National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu and Policy Note of Health and Family Welfare Department 2025-2026
Services offered
The best treatment available is being provided in the government facility in collaboration with a trust. “We are facilitating good quality care, proper monitoring and the availability of support groups,” Dr. Thamburaj said.
Through the collaborative partnership, the State government offers services including capacity building to all T1DM patients at the institutions and facilitates formation of patient support groups. The patients are monitored for disease control by complication screening and counselling including for family members. A round-the-clock helpline for all patients, laboratory tests to monitor them, and monitoring of retinal complications is also done.
Better care
Officials said that this initiative benefits children from both rural and urban areas. Early results show improved HbA1c levels and reduced hospital visits with improved diabetes-related confidence, they added.
Published – December 10, 2025 12:43 am IST