Living with Type 1 diabetes in Telangana or caring for someone who is? You could be eligible for free analogue insulin every month (both rapid-acting and long-acting), irrespective of socio-economic background.

Sounds like a dream, right? It’s not. This is already happening at Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad — completely free of cost. Here’s everything you need to know.

Access to insulin should not depend on where you live or what you can afford. Encouragingly, some states in India are now providing free rapid-acting and long-acting analogue insulins and more are beginning to follow.

At Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation, we continue to advocate for wider, equitable access across India. Join our community to stay informed and connect with others via our Facebook group, Diabetes Support Network India.

This program was started at Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, in September 2022 and is available through the ‘Centre of Excellence’ in the Department of Endocrinology (second floor, main building).

The process does take time — expect to spend a few hours at the hospital, especially on your first visit. The process to get the insulin at Gandhi Hospital is a bit lengthy and can take up to half a day of time (depending on the number of doctors there and the T1s who visit there on that particular day). Nevertheless, you do get a month’s supply of both short (rapid) acting (Novorapid/Fiasp) and long acting insulin (Tresiba) and that itself makes the wait worth it!

The 6 doctors at Gandhi Hospital take the time to carefully understand the patient's needs, especially when you go there for the first time. Not only that, they also educate the family on the correct way to take insulin. When they come the second time, they are encouraged to get their SMBG (self monitoring blood glucose - see our video tutorial here on how to use a glucometer in English & Telugu) reports, so that the doctors can make an informed decision on any changes to the insulin doses. Patients are also encouraged to get their HbA1C reports at regular intervals, for a more comprehensive view of blood sugar readings (also read our checklist for routine diabetes tests) Height, weight and blood pressure are also checked, for a more complete picture of the patient's vitals.

Here is a step-by-step guide to obtain insulin from Gandhi Hospital:

1. Download the ABHA app from PlayStore (for Android) or App Store (for iOS) Then link your phone number and Aadhaar to get an ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) Number. This step can be done from home. If you already have an ABHA number/address, you can just login with that.
2. Go to Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad on any Thursday of the month (except on public holidays). Go straight to the OP (meaning 'outpatient') Block (picture below).

When you’re outside the OP block, open the Abha app. You will see a QR scanner at the bottom of the home page.

Use that to scan this QR code:

The reason you need to do this at the hospital is because the app has Geo Tagging. It will only work when you are inside the Hospital or a very close area to the hospital.

Pro Tip: Do it outside the OP block, as you will lose mobile network once you go in, or else it will be too weak to scan the QR code.

3. When you scan the above QR, you will get a token number. This is required to get the OP slip. Remember that token number!
4. Once inside the OP block, stand in the leftmost queue (this is the one for those who already have the token number). At the counter, tell them your token number and collect the OP slip. This slip is needed to consult with the doctor & collect insulin.
   Pro Tip: The OP block also has a Help Desk, just in case you find any problems with generating the token or with the ABHA app.
5. With the OP slip, go to the second floor of the main building (NOT the OP block). Go to the Endocrinology section, where you’ll see ‘Centre of Excellence’. ⁠Put your OP Slip in a small book (you need to carry a book, there’s no file system) and give it to them. They’ll call out your name when it’s your turn.
6. When your turn comes, the doctor will see your blood sugar levels for the last few days (carry that with you - either in a written form or show them the app where you enter the values). He/she will prescribe the dose of insulin. You may then collect a month’s insulin from the adjoining room. They also give syringes/pen needles when available. Do note - You will NOT be given insulin or even be able to consult with the doctor without the OP slip.
   
   Some other pointers:
   - Go as early as possible so that you do not end up spending a lot of time there. They see as many as 130-160 patients a week and have a total of 600 patients (and growing) in all.
   - Carry an ice pack / Frio or any other coolant for the insulin you get at the hospital.
   - Wear a face mask as far as possible, as it is a government hospital and there are many patients who come there.
   - Carry your hypo kit, water and eatables just in case it takes a long while. Be patient - this could take a while!
   
   This is the process to get free insulin from Gandhi Hospital. Do avail of it if you live in Hyderabad / Secunderabad, or can travel there once a month if you reside elsewhere in Telangana. Hope this helps 🙂 If you have any queries or experiences you'd like to share or if you'd just like to connect with other diabetics, please post on our Facebook group, Diabetes Support Network India. If you or someone you know is living with type 1 diabetes in Telangana, this can make a real difference. Do share this blog with anyone who might benefit.

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