The aim of the project is to improve diabetic foot care by training health personnel and establishing 10 foot care centres and a mobile foot clinic.
Expected impact
44 health care workers trained
10 diabetic foot care centers established
400 remote areas visited by a mobile foot clinic
Foot care, education and counselling provided to 12,000 people through outreach activities
Results at project completion
48 health care workers from all over India have been trained and supplied with foot care kits and flipcharts for education. Two refresher courses have been conducted for the trained health care workers. Trainees and doctors from all the 10 clinics in Karnataka also attended the refresher courses.
Podiatry workshop conducted for 50 surgeons from all over India.
An additional 78 volunteers in two districts have been trained to conduct diabetes screening and counselling.
A total of 10,293 persons have been reached by awareness activities in schools, communities and women’s self help groups.
10 foot care clinics have been set up and have been functioning since June 2007. Four of the clinics have started their own outreach activities and satellite clinics. A total of 22,491 patients have been attended in the 10 clinics.
The mobile clinic has conducted 583 visits to surrounding areas, attending to 26,120 patients of which 21,969 (84%) had diabetes. Around 70% were found to have neuropathy; 2,551 had foot pathology; and 315 had ulcerated feet.
A total of 415,000 people have been screened for diabetes in two districts.
19,518 persons have been reached by patient education activities, including street plays.
Foot problems are among the most serious consequences of diabetes. The diabetic foot can lead to amputations of lower limbs and is associated with huge social and economic costs for the individual.
Due to social and religious traditions, it is common to walk around barefoot in India, both outside and inside the house. Unfortunately, this is one of the main reasons for foot problems among people with diabetes. In addition to this, foot infections are often not presented to the health care providers, until the infection has become severe, and the risk for a lower limb amputation is increased.
By convincing people with diabetes to wear proper footwear and by treating foot ulcerations at an early stage, it is possible to reduce the incidence of major amputations. The diabetic foot care clinic at Jain Institute of Vascular Sciences in Bangalore has great experience in training health care workers, and in counselling and treating people with diabetic foot problems.
Objective
The aim of the project is to improve diabetic foot care by training health personnel and establishing 10 foot care centres and a mobile foot clinic.
Approach
A one-month course will be offered to paramedical workers. The course, which involves both academic education and hands-on experience, will be provided to two selected health care workers each month at the diabetic foot care clinic of Jain Institute of Vascular Sciences.
Subsequent to the course, the trained health care workers will return to their respective health unit and continue the provision of diabetic foot care.
The project will assist the trained health care workers in establishing and running foot care centres. A total of 10 foot care centres will be established across the state of Karnataka.
A mobile foot care clinic will provide diabetic foot care and education to people with diabetes in remote areas within a radius of 150 kilometres from Bangalore. The mobile clinic is expected to visit 20 outreach areas per month, and visiting about 30 people with diabetes per visit.
