A concerted effort will be made to take the 'Mittayi' project to children and adolescents suffering from type 1 diabetes, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said here on Thursday.

Launching the project, the Minister said, though 908 children have registered with this social security project, only 400 could be included in the first phase. Envisaged by the Kerala Social Security Mission, the project guarantees comprehensive care and support to children or adolescents with this endocrine disorder.

"There are 3,000 children in the state suffering from type 1 diabetes. The estimated cost towards providing comprehensive care and support to these children comes to Rs 10 crore. The Finance Department is weighing the practicability of this," Isaac said.

Health and Social Justice Minister K K Shylaja said the Social Justice Department (SJD) is focusing more on providing facilities to those in need of special care. Through 'Mittayi', the Minister said, children and their caretakers will be provided with guidance on using the insulin pen, insulin pump and on continual glucose monitoring. They will also be provided with tips regarding health, treatment, and diet.

According to SJD, the endocrine disorder affecting children in the age-group of 5-15 leads to complications if not treated properly. The department also said there is little awareness about this chronic illness, with people often confusing it with the type 2 variant seen among adults.

Minister for Cooperation Kadakampally Surendran, district panchayat president V K Madhu, Special Secretary Biju Prabhakar and KSSM executive director Mohammad Asheel were among those who attended the programme organised at the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, Vellayambalam.