A royal step to prevent the diabetic foot

When the World Diabetes Foundation decided to focus on the diabetic foot problems in India, the hope was to collect funds to open one preventive foot care clinic in Chennai.  Surprisingly enough funds were raised to open five clinics, the first was inaugurated in March 2004.   The money, collected at World Diabetes Day 2003, was earmarked for a new preventive foot care clinic in India.The donation enabled more than one foot care clinic to be opened, thus taking preventive diabetes foot care in India further forward. Diabetic foot a serious complication “In that part of the world, losing a limb will often result in people losing their ability to work and becoming dependent on their family. It is therefore an important area of diabetes care where we can really make a difference,” says Lars Rebien Sørensen, CEO of the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and member of the WDF board. With diabetes reaching almost epidemic proportions in India, improved diabetic care and treatment is making great strides up the country’s healthcare agenda. Millions of untreated or inadequately treated patients have generated a severe problem in terms of secondary health complications, with the diabetic foot representing the most serious disabling complication. Responding to the growing problems of diabetic foot complications, the board of the World Diabetes Foundation had long awaited the official opening of the preventive foot care clinic in Chennai. That day finally arrived in connection with the board’s official visit to India on 15-19 March 2004. “I believe this diabetic foot care clinic will make an enormous difference to the lives of its patients.” These words were said by HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Patron of the World Diabetes Foundation, at the official opening of the first foot care clinic in India. Shortly afterwards, the Princess and Lars Rebien Sørensen presented custom-made sandals to some of the neediest patients with foot problems. The foot clinic in Chennai The new foot care clinic at the Ambedkar Institute of Diabetology in Chennai is the first of its kind in India. The institute treats 1,000 people a day, and the foot care clinic will be screening around 100 people with diabetes for foot problems on a daily basis. About 6% of the people with diabetes attending the new clinic have foot ulcers Nearly 50% of the patients are at high risk of developing them  By raising awareness of preventive foot care, the clinic aims to reduce diabetes-related amputations in India by 50%, saving 3,600 legs a year So fare more than 2000 people have been screened to detect high-risk feet People with diabetes are getting both group counseling and individual counseling Only 8% of the screened patients purchased proper foot wear Hence 73% could not afford proper foot wear Being a government-run clinic, treatment is intended for the poorest of the poor and offers patients the chance to be tested, measured and given preventive foot care for the first time. Raising awareness, saving legs “One significant problem with foot care in India is that people do not really understand how easy it is for the diabetic foot to suffer irreversible injury", Lars Rebien says. "This situation reveals an urgent need for information to increase public awareness of the complications. The lack of tools for preventing foot injuries and offering quality foot care is adding to the problem,” he adds. Half of all people with diabetes experience various types of nerve diseases causing loss of sensitivity in the feet. In consequence, patients may be walking around unaware of infected ulcers, which - if left untreated - will result in amputation. This is the situation for thousands of people in the developing countries, caused by the fact that many people walk around barefoot or wearing unsuitable shoes.   Read about the preventive foot care clinics opened so far. Read the background article on foot care in India. View our video on foot care problems in India.