According to figures with the department, for every diabetes patient in India, there are two who have the disease but are undiagnosed and four who have abnormalities that could lead to their becoming diabetic in future. “Till now we were concentrating on controlling blood sugar levels. Soon there will come a time when people will have enough therapies to completely rid themselves of diabetes,” said Dr B K Rao, chairman of the hospital.

The options

•Insulin inhalers: Hand-held devices similar to those used by asthma patients. Diabetics can use them before meals

•Byetta: An injection that arrived in the Indian market two weeks ago, it helps preserve insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Tablets doing the same likely to be available soon

•Stem cell and gene therapies: Hold promise, but could take another 10 years