BANGALORE: Over 41,000 people in six districts of the State may go blind in the coming few years due to diabetic retinopathy, Rajiv Raman of Sankara Nethralaya's Medical Research Foundation said here on Wednesday.

In a survey conducted in Tumkur, Bangalore, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Kolar districts, researchers found that 34 lakh people have diabetes and 6.8 lakh of them have diabetic retinopathy. The condition is a complication of diabetes in which the blood vessels inside the retina are damaged.

"The number of people with diabetic retinopathy in the State is very high. It is greater than many other southern States," Dr. Raman said at a press conference to announce the launch on Friday of Sankara Nethralaya's diabetic retinopathy programme and tele-screening services. The five-year programme is estimated to cost Rs. 3.22 crores of which the World Diabetes Foundation is contributing Rs. 1.53 crore.

Dr. Raman said that because of poor awareness about diabetic retinopathy it largely goes undiagnosed. He said 63 per cent of people in rural areas and 75 per cent of those in urban areas do not know they have diabetes. Many persons do not even have their eyes examined once a year.

Sankara Nethralaya said it will hold screening camps in all six districts to check people for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.

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