Bangalore: There are at least five lakh diabetics in Bangalore, going by hospital records.

Less than one lakh of them visit a doctor at least once a month, some seek medical advice once in three months and many do not go to a doctor even once a year, according to K.M. Prasanna Kumar, president, Diabetes Club, a group of physicians.

Complications

"Because of this lack of timely medical consultation, all city hospitals are overwhelmed with the inevitable complications of diabetes like heart problems, paralysis, blindness, kidney failure and festering wounds. And, each day about 50 persons are identified for the first time as being diabetic," he says.

Research in all fields of medicine, and especially diabetes and heart disease, is fast progressing.

Newer tablets and other medication for diabetes, better varieties of insulin and insulin delivery systems, inhaled and oral insulin and "insulin pumps" are the outcome of medical research.

Knowledge update

But the doctors involved in diabetic care need to update their knowledge about new therapies and drug delivery systems so that they can in turn help their patients.

Doctors assume importance because even a primary care clinician with expertise in diabetes, who can devote five hours a day, can care for only 30 patients with diabetes during that period and treat less than one thousand persons in a month. This means more doctors even in general practice need to be educated about the latest in diabetic care.

Against this background, DESERT 2006, a conference on diabetes care is being held at the NIMHANS Convention Centre on July 15 and 16.

It is organised by the Diabetes Club, Bangalore.

Over 800 doctors from the southern States are expected to participate in it.

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