Three foot care clinics opened in India

Three out of five planned preventive foot care clinics in India have now been opened for patients. A fundraising event that started out in November 2003 at the World Diabetes Day was aimed at collecting enough funds to start a foot care clinic in Chennai, India. However, donations combined with additional funding from pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has made it possible to set up establishment of five clinics. Today, only one and a half year after the first coin hit the collection box, three clinics are up and running. The first clinic, located in Chennai, was officially opened in March 2004 and was inaugurated by HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark, patron of the World Diabetes Foundation. March 2005 two further preventive foot care clinics have been established in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. Totally an impressive amount of 700,000 Danish kroner (120,000 USD) has been collected. Preventing lesser lives All clinics will be focusing on prevention and treatment of foot problems caused by diabetes and will reach thousands of people throughout their local regions.  Many people with diabetes lose the feeling in their feet and may not be aware of skin injuries developing into infected ulcers. Left untreated, the infection spreads, leading to gangrene which requires amputation. In India alone, an estimated 40,000 lower limbs are amputated each year, due to diabetes. Yet many hospitals do not have the facilities and edcuation needed to offer preventive footcare. With three clinics opened, hundreds of people with diabetes are screened everyday in the effort to prevent limb amputation. In India, amputation will often result in people losing their ability to work and provide for their family, which is sent further into poverty because of lack of proper diabetes treatment and prevention of foot problems.	The video "One Step Ahead" tells the story of diabetes foot problems in India.
Like 40,000 Indians every year, this man lost his leg due to diabetes.
Important need During the inauguration ceremony in Ahmedabad, World Diabetes Foundation Vice Chairman Dr. Anil Kapur thanked his colleagues in India, particularly Dr Sanjeev Kelkar, for their help in setting up a total of three new Indian foot clinics to date. “The need for efforts to reduce lower limb complications amongst people with diabetes is important, more so in a country like India, where ignorance and barefoot walking plus other socio-economic practices lead to needless amputations,’’ he said. The inauguration of the clinic in Ahmedabad, March 2005 Employees raised funds, Novo Nordisk doubled up Anil Kapur also thanked Novo Nordisk employees worldwide for raising money for the foot clinics on World Diabetes Day 2003. “We are proud to be able to make a difference to many people with diabetes,” said Novo Nordisk Executive Vice President Lise Kingo, who inaugurated the Ahmedabad clinic. “The response from our employees when we started raising funds for a foot care clinic in India was overwhelming. The money we collected, together with a matching contribution from Novo Nordisk, far exceeded expectations and will make it possible to open not just one, but five foot clinics. ” Ahmedabad Mayor Aneesha Begum Mirza responded, “We really appreciate your generous gesture for coming forward and extending help to establish this clinic for the poor and the needy at the right time.” The assembled audience gave the Novo Nordisk representatives a standing ovation.      Read the background article on foot problems in India Read about the opening of the first clinic in Chennai, India View the video on foot problems in India