The government is all set to initiate a programme for mandatory diabetes and hypertension check-ups of all the villagers above 35 years of age across the country.

Speaking on this, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “We have a huge burden of diabetes. But awareness level about the disease is very low in rural areas. We are planning diabetes tests for villagers above 35 or 40 years of age.”

However, according to the Union Minister, testing 25 to 30 crore people mainly above the age of 35-40 years through a glucometer will be a hard-hitting job.

“'To test 25 or 30 crore people through this will cost the government around Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 1,600 crore (Rs. 15 to Rs. 16 billion) and this the health ministry can not afford. I have asked the department of health research to develop cost effective test sticks,” said Azad.

Notably, India is considered as the diabetes capital of the world.

Azad also added that the government is considering the utilization of stem cells for the treatment of diabetes especially for all those who are living in the rural areas of the country.

"Stem cells can now be grown and transferred into specialised medical therapies and this can be an answer to diabetes treatment," the Minister said.