The Department of Endocrinology at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, organized a cookery competition on the theme “Breakfast Bonanza – A Healthy Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast” on the evening of October 19, 2024. The event, aimed at showcasing healthy breakfast options for people with diabetes, was an exciting opportunity for the people of Vellore to exhibit their culinary skills.
Dr. Khushboo Agarwal, Assistant Professor, gave the welcome address and spoke about the importance of inculcating healthy habits right from childhood and how cooking is an essential life skill that should be included in the school curriculum. Dr. Reena George, Head of the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Department at CMC Vellore, was the Chief Guest and emphasized prioritizing healthy food over expensive jewelry. She also advised introspection and making the right food choices. The panel of judges included Mrs. Lilly Prasad, Professor and Head of the Department of Paediatric Nursing at CMC Vellore, Dr. Jane Elizabeth Sajan, Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at CMC Vellore, and Mrs. Gayathri Vadivelu, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Nutrition at DKM College, Sainathapuram, Vellore. The competition was presided over by Dr. H.S. Asha, Head of the Department, and Dr. Nihal Thomas, Senior Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, CMC, Vellore.
Forty teams enthusiastically participated, representing various schools, colleges, CMC staff, and homemakers. They displayed innovative and diabetes-friendly breakfast dishes, evaluated based on their nutritional value, cost of ingredients, cooking time, taste, and macronutrient balance. The audience also included a few patients with diabetes and many children who were eager to learn about this.
The first prize was awarded to Ms. Durga Devi and Ms. Sharmila from Sri Narayani College of Nursing for their delicious Jowar Millet Carrot Kuzhi Paniyaram and Kuthiraivali millet Kichadi. The first runners-up were Ms. Srisha and Ms. Bhava Dharani from DKM College, who presented an Apple Pie Tart and Drumstick Pulpy Soup, and Ms. Sangeetha K. and Ms. Priya B., teachers from Lakshmi Garden School, Vellore, for their Veggie-loaded Jowar Thalipeeth. The second runners-up were Ms. Uma Maheshwari and Ms. Nithya from CMC Vellore.
The consolation prizes were awarded to Ms. Lakshmi from Shalom Clinic, CMC Vellore; Ms. Nithya and Ms. Iswariya from FIITJEE Global School, Katpadi; Ms. Koteeswari from Apollo Hospital; Ms. Selvizhi and Ms. Shabreen Akil from Sri Narayani College of Nursing; Ms. Evangeline and Ms. Philomena from CMC Vellore; Ms. Thilakavathi and Ms. Sasikala from Spark Matric Hr. Sec. School, Vellore; and Ms. Sharmaila and Ms. Vinitha from CMC Vellore.
The judges commended all the participants for their creativity and enthusiasm in preparing healthy, diabetes-friendly breakfast, making the event a great success.

Breakfast Bonanza – A Healthy Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast 2024 - (VIDEOS)
In commemoration of World Diabetes Day 2024, the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism organized an Essay and Painting contest for students from grades VIII to XII and a Quiz competition for school teachers. Teams joined us from across Vellore and Ranipet Districts. The event took place on Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Darling Residency, Vellore. The aim was to inspire students to embrace a healthy lifestyle and explore the systemic and interpersonal challenges in promoting better health. Through educating students, we hope to extend this knowledge to their families and the wider community.
The topics for the competitions are :-
- Painting competition : Tackling obesity to prevent diabetes
- Essay Competition : How does mobile application help us to connect patients, providers and care givers in diabetes management
- Teachers Quiz :GK, General Health & Non communicable Disease (Scientific aspects & History - Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Cardio Vascular Diseases & Obesity).
The competition was presided over by Dr. Remya Rajan, Associate Professor from the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, CMC Vellore. The Essay competition received 78 entries in English and 66 in Tamil, showcasing students' thoughts on the topic, “How do mobile applications help connect patients, providers, and caregivers in diabetes management.” Their enthusiasm and clarity in presenting ideas were truly impressive.
The Painting competition had 83 entries and was a visual delight, with students excelling in creating artwork on the theme “Tackling Obesity to Prevent Diabetes.” Using various techniques, including pencils, sketches, crayons, and watercolours, they skilfully translated the theme into tangible expressions of art.
The judges for the event included Mrs. Shanthi Gladston, Professor of Paediatric Nursing and Deputy Nursing Superintendent, CMC Vellore Ranipet Campus; Dr. Chinta Annie Jyothirmayi, Associate Professor of Child Health, CMC Vellore; and Dr. Lily, Assistant Professor in the Department of Dentistry, CMC Vellore. The judges praised the students’ talent, noting that any of the 83 entries could have been a winner.
In the Painting contest, Ms. Sejal from Sree Jayam School and Mr. Uday Karthik from Ida Scudder School claimed the first-place prize. The second place was shared by Ms. Shavitha from Govt. Girls Hr. Sec. School and Mr. Ashwanth from Ida Scudder School. Third place went jointly to Mr. Dhanasri from St. Mary’s School and Ms. Kiruthika from Vani Vidhyalaya Matric School. Consolation prizes were awarded to Ms. Kaviyanjali from Sri Narayani Vidhyashram, Mr. Rohan Yokesh from Shrishti Vidyashram, Ms. Dharshini from Vani Vidhyalaya Matric, Ms. Ritika from Pincushion, Ms. Oviya from Shrishti Vidyashram, and Ms. Annapoorni from St. Mark’s School.
Prof. (Dr.) Anthony Devasia, former Senior Professor and Head of Urology at CMC Vellore and currently a Senior Consultant in Urology at CMC Chittoor Campus, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Prof. (Dr) Anthony Devasia elaborated on the prevalence of diabetes and its associated complications in the community. Hence, he urged the youngsters to have a healthy lifestyle focussing on diet and exercise to prevent obesity and thus to curb the onset of diabetes.
The teachers' quiz drew 19 teams in the preliminary round, with the top 5 teams advancing to the live final round. The enthusiastic participation of teachers was met with cheers from students. Ms. Savitha and Ms. Monisha from Shrishti Vidyashram Senior Secondary School won the first place, Ms. Anusha and Ms. Muthahara from Spark Matriculation Higher Secondary School were the runners-up, and Ms. Sarala and Ms. Divya from Omsakthi Narayani Matriculation Higher Secondary School secured the third place. The prizes will be awarded at a grand valedictory function to be held at a later date.

In commemoration of the World Diabetes Day 2024, the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at Christian Medical College, Vellore organized an Exhibition & Poster competition titled “How does one can maximize Nursing care in Patients with Diabetes?” on 12th November 2024 at the CMC Hospital Campus near the main entrance between 9.00am and 5.00pm with this year’s focus on “Diabetes and Well-being.”
Departments including Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Nephrology, Physiotherapy, Prosthetics & Orthotics, Dietetics, and Community Health Nursing, alongside the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, hosted stalls to raise awareness about diabetes, its complications, and prevention strategies. Diabetes screening was conducted for 427 patients, who also received foot and eye examinations. Attendees enjoyed infotainment through puppet shows and interactive games, reinforcing the educational message. A lucky draw was held for registered patients, with six winners receiving glucometers.
The event commenced with a prayer led by Rev. Saramma Kuruvilla. Dr. Varun Kumar and Dr. Santhosh from the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism delivered talks on diabetes awareness in Tamil and Telugu.
The poster competition was evaluated by Mrs. Sasikala Umesh, Professor & Nurse Manager of Medical Surgical Nursing Speciality 1, Mrs. Mary Jansi, Nurse Manager of MICU Medical Surgical Nursing Speciality 4, and Dr. Soumy, Associate Professor from the Nuclear Medicine Department.
Ms. Suganya C., Staff Nurse from O6 West, won first prize, with Ms. Femina Jasmine from C201 taking second. Third prize was jointly awarded to Mr. Isacc Samuel from Emergency Medicine and Ms. P. Rajalakshmi from C201. Consolation prizes were given to Mr. Mubarak Ali from Neuro Operation Theatre and Ms. Ida Senthamizh Selvi from Opthalmology.
In commemoration of World Diabetes Day 2024, the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism organized Diabetes Nurse Champions Quiz on November 19, 2024, for Nursing students at the College of Nursing, CMC. The event aimed to equip future healthcare professionals with critical insights into diabetes management, prevention, and care, emphasizing the growing importance of diabetes awareness in today’s healthcare landscape. The quiz provided an excellent platform for nursing students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in diabetes care while fostering a spirit of healthy competition and teamwork.
Mrs. Florence Segaran, Retired Professor and Principal of the College of Nursing, Chittoor Campus, graced the event as the Chief Guest and shared her valuable insights, encouraging students to take an active role in combating the diabetes epidemic. A total of 389 students participated in the preliminary written test, from which four teams qualified for the final round. The competition featured several engaging and challenging rounds, including Open Forum, Visual Vibe, Lexicon Challenge, Wordless Wonder, Risk or Reward, Turbo Talk, and Public Pulse.
The winners of the quiz were as follows:-
- First Prize:- Marya Alex Kurian, Muskan Chick Baraik, N. David Sridhar, Dorita Khakhlari
- Second Prize:- Priscilla Adelyn Krupa, Pavithra G., P. Gopika, Sheeba Babu
- Third Prize:-Bomter Riram, J. Sharmila, Jenitha, D. Swathi
The event not only highlighted the need for early detection and effective management of diabetes but also highlighted the critical role that nurses play in providing patient education and support. Students gained valuable knowledge about innovative strategies in diabetes care, including advancements in technology, nutrition, and patient-centered approaches. Through this event, the department successfully created awareness among future healthcare professionals about the alarming rise in diabetes cases worldwide and the importance of holistic care. The quiz enlighted understanding of diabetes and its complications, empowering them to be better equipped to address the needs of patients and their families. The event was highly appreciated by participants, who described it as both informative and engaging, leaving them motivated to contribute to better diabetes care and management in their future careers.
