Srinagar: To mark World Diabetes Day, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) will organise a walkathon to raise awareness about diabetes and promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes mellitus and is held on 14 November each year.
The event will be jointly flagged off by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg (IAS), and Director SKIMS & EOSG, Professor M Ashraf Ganie, at the iconic Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) in Lal Chowk.
Following the walkathon, a screening camp will be held at Joggers Park, Rajbagh, where SKIMS experts will screen participants for diabetes, provide counselling sessions, and distribute educational pamphlets on diabetes prevention and management.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, professor M Ashraf Ganie, world-renowned endocrinologist and director SKIMS, said that diabetes affects a significant portion of the region’s population, underlining the need for sustained public awareness.
“Early prevention is better. Uncontrolled diabetes, if not managed on time, can lead to serious health complications. People need to adopt healthy food habits and maintain an active lifestyle,” professor Ganie said.
He further noted that SKIMS has a well-established department of endocrinology, which has conducted extensive research on diabetes and related disorders such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The department’s studies have been published in several reputed national and international journals, and it continues to collaborate with the ICMR and other research agencies to improve diabetes care and outcomes.
The initiative, professor Ganie added, reaffirms SKIMS’s commitment to community health and preventive medicine, emphasising that “Healthy Life is a Better Life.”
