IAS Adarsh Surabhi belongs to the 2018 batch, Telangana cadre, and is currently posted as district collector of Wanaparthy, Telangana.

Regarding his vision for Wanaparthy, Adarsh’s dream project focuses on the Health and well-being of its citizens with a particular focus on early detection of diabetes. Diabetes can lead to serious long-term complications and, if not properly managed, can even be life threatening. India is one of the countries with highest diabetes patients in the world.

“We are making significant efforts in healthcare,” Adarsh explains. “We have initiated a screening program for all citizens aged 30 and above. Our ASHA workers are going door to door to conduct blood tests for diabetes. They check random blood sugar levels, and if any readings are elevated, we arrange for fasting blood sugar tests the very next morning. If both results indicate high sugar levels, we send samples to the government hospital for lab testing, ensuring that those diagnosed receive proper treatment.”

Under Adarsh’s leadership, the initiative has already covered around 10,000 people in just one month and it has revealed that approximately 10% of them are newly identified as diabetics. Additionally, software has also been developed to manage the process.

Another aspect of Adarsh’s vision is to ensure that all sanitation workers are registered under the Bima yojana for a secure future “ For all sanitation workers in rural local bodies, such as gram panchayats, and in urban local bodies like municipalities, we have conducted health camps. As a result, all of them have now been registered under two government insurance schemes: the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana,” he explains.

Concerned about the security of sanitation workers' families, he said, “Whenever there is a loss of life, there is often no support for the family. Having insurance like this provides significant support to them.”