Rashi Singhal (24) is founder-director of Vision Mission Foundation (VMF, estb. 2010), a Noida (Delhi NCR)-based NGO which offers screening, counselling and primary services to people afflicted with diabetes. Over the past two years, VMF has screened 35,000 people for diabetes — a condition affecting 51 million Indians according to the World Health Organisation — through a team of 20 health consultants in its Noida centre, camps and a mobile van which travels through Delhi’s NCR (national capital region) including Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, every day. For her efforts to spread awareness about this debilitating and often life-threatening metabolic disorder to a wider audience, Singhal was conferred the Young Achiever award of the Apollo Group of Hospitals in February.

A history graduate of Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi, Singhal has been committed to the cause of educating people about diabetes since age 15, when she was herself diagnosed with the disorder. “I had to change my lifestyle drastically and exercise great discipline to combat diabetes. But thanks to my parents and friends who have been a bedrock of support, I have managed to control my blood sugar levels and lead a normal life. However during this time, I became aware that people know very little about diabetes, its causes and effects, and that it can be controlled with strong determination if diagnosed early. This was the motivation behind VMF,” recalls Singhal.

Her ambition to establish a diabetes diagnostic centre was facilitated by Shakti Nath, managing director of the Noida-based real estate company Logix Group. A diabetic himself, Nath leased out a double-storied building at nominal rent to get VMF going. Currently, VMF offers free-of-charge diagnosis and consulting services — to people from economically weaker sections — in its Noida centre, through its mobile van and by way of convening awareness camps in education institutions.

To attract and involve youth in this cause, VMF has also launched Dbook.com — a social networking platform — in November last year. To upgrade as a resource centre for diabetics, doctors and patients, the foundation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai.

“In the pipeline are telemedicine centres in resident welfare associations, corporate offices, schools and colleges as well as in rural areas, and additional mobile clinics. In our centres and mobile clinics, I will train volunteers and public health consultants so they can transform into diabetes educators. My most important objective is to educate people about how to live with diabetes. Diabetics can live normal and comfortable lives. All they need to have is strong will power to change their lifestyles for the better, and make conscious efforts to remain absolutely fit,” says Singhal.

Power to your elbow!

Swati Roy (Delhi)

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