The Hindu : Front Page : Put feet first, prevent amputations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 23, 2005

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Front Page

Put feet first, prevent amputations

Special Correspondent

`People with diabetes more likely to undergo lower-limb amputations'

CHENNAI: "International studies have proved that over 18.5 per cent of patients with diabetes in India undergo amputation of lower limbs, making it imperative for attention to be paid to the diabetic foot," Vijay Vishwanathan, joint director, M.V. Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre (DRC), said here on Friday.

"People with diabetes are up to 40 times more likely to undergo a lower-leg amputation," he said in a presentation at the second Indo-U.S. Workshop on Diabetic Foot Complication, organised by the DRC and the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum and inaugurated by the Health Minister, N. Thalavai Sundaram.

The average cost of treating a diabetic foot could be between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh, he said, stressing the urgency of preventing the occurrence of diabetic foot complications. The theme of the Wold Diabetes Federation this year is "Put feet first — prevent amputations."

Early diagnosis of the problems with the feet, proper foot-care for anyone with diabetes and keeping diabetes under control were simple measures to handle the problem, Dr. Vishwanathan said.

Economic loss

"Foot problems from diabetes cause more economic loss and morbidity than heart diseases. A significant number of diabetics were middle-aged and sole earning members of the family," said Altaf A. Lal, Health Attache and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional representative.

Quoting statistics, he said 40 per cent of all diabetic admissions to hospitals in India resulted from foot problems. "Comprehensive foot care can prevent 50 per cent of these amputations," he said, stressing that professional foot-care and patient education were of paramount importance in preventing severe foot-related consequences of diabetes.

A. Mitra, executive director, Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum, said he hoped that the conference would lead to a more lasting research collaborative ventures between the two nations.

He elaborated on the projects being undertaken/sponsored by the Forum, set up to facilitate and promote bilateral collaborations in science, technology, engineering and bio-medical research.

World's diabetes capital

With an estimated 33 million diabetics in India, the nation was already the diabetes capital of the world, said A. Ramachandran, director, M.V. Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre.

"Diabetes is already a problem in this country, it is not going to become a problem." The Tamil Nadu Government had launched a number of initiatives to subsidise the costs of treatment. Providing insulin free of cost was a boon to diabetics in the State, he said.

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