ID :
10982
Sat, 06/28/2008 - 09:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/10982
The shortlink copeid
India facing major threat from diabetes-related blindness
Vinod Raghavan
Bangkok, Jun 28 (PTI) - India, the "diabetes capital of the
world", faces a major threat from blindness related to the
disease and lack of awareness surrounding the condition has
made the situation even more glaring.
"India is the world capital of diabetes. If not treated
on time, the disease leads to loss of eyesight in the
afflicted person," a top functionary of the Lions Clubs
International Foundation (L.C.I.F.), which is running a major
awareness campaign in south India, said here.
"There are also chances of nerve damaging in a diabetic
patient, which could also lead to blindness," Dr Ashok Mehta,
a former Sheriff of Mumbai and past President of L.C.I.F. told
P.T.I.
He also expressed fear that in the next 25 years India
may top the list of countries facing diabetes related
blindness known as "Diabetic Retinopathy".
It is also a major concern that children of diabetic
parents inherit this dreaded disease, he said at the sidelines
of a three-day international convention of L.C.I.F.
"L.C.I.F's primary concern is to save newborn babies of
diabetic parents," Mehta said adding that the institution has
planned setting up a neo-natal unit in India.
To fight this menace, L.C.I.F. has tied up with two
hospitals in South India - Shankar Netralaya in Chennai and
L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital in Hyderabad, where they carry a
thorough check-up of a diabetic patients and see that they do
not loose their eye sight due to "Diabetic Retinopathy", Mehta
said.
L.C.I.F. volunteers also work regularly with local
primary health centres and also hold regular "Diabetes
Awareness Campaigns" where a patients are advised to take care
with their diet and medicines to control diabetes.
The ambitious project "Sight for Kids" - to save the
child from blindness is running successfully in two cities of
Kerala - Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram.
The kids from the local civic bodies and government-run
school children are regularly screened by the opthalmologists
accompanied by the L.C.I.F. volunteers, Mehta said.
As a pilot project the programme has been launched in
various parts of India - Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Vadodara, Jaipur and Udaipur, he said.
The L.C.I.F. also has plans to adopt civic and government
run hospitals in Maharashtra, but the state government is yet
to respond to their proposal, Mehta said, adding that way back
in 1993, the then Chief Minister Sharad Pawar had rejected the
idea of handing hospitals to the Lions.
The civic hospitals can also be transformed with
installation of modern machineries and updating the system,
Mehta added. PTI VRK
Bangkok, Jun 28 (PTI) - India, the "diabetes capital of the
world", faces a major threat from blindness related to the
disease and lack of awareness surrounding the condition has
made the situation even more glaring.
"India is the world capital of diabetes. If not treated
on time, the disease leads to loss of eyesight in the
afflicted person," a top functionary of the Lions Clubs
International Foundation (L.C.I.F.), which is running a major
awareness campaign in south India, said here.
"There are also chances of nerve damaging in a diabetic
patient, which could also lead to blindness," Dr Ashok Mehta,
a former Sheriff of Mumbai and past President of L.C.I.F. told
P.T.I.
He also expressed fear that in the next 25 years India
may top the list of countries facing diabetes related
blindness known as "Diabetic Retinopathy".
It is also a major concern that children of diabetic
parents inherit this dreaded disease, he said at the sidelines
of a three-day international convention of L.C.I.F.
"L.C.I.F's primary concern is to save newborn babies of
diabetic parents," Mehta said adding that the institution has
planned setting up a neo-natal unit in India.
To fight this menace, L.C.I.F. has tied up with two
hospitals in South India - Shankar Netralaya in Chennai and
L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital in Hyderabad, where they carry a
thorough check-up of a diabetic patients and see that they do
not loose their eye sight due to "Diabetic Retinopathy", Mehta
said.
L.C.I.F. volunteers also work regularly with local
primary health centres and also hold regular "Diabetes
Awareness Campaigns" where a patients are advised to take care
with their diet and medicines to control diabetes.
The ambitious project "Sight for Kids" - to save the
child from blindness is running successfully in two cities of
Kerala - Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram.
The kids from the local civic bodies and government-run
school children are regularly screened by the opthalmologists
accompanied by the L.C.I.F. volunteers, Mehta said.
As a pilot project the programme has been launched in
various parts of India - Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Vadodara, Jaipur and Udaipur, he said.
The L.C.I.F. also has plans to adopt civic and government
run hospitals in Maharashtra, but the state government is yet
to respond to their proposal, Mehta said, adding that way back
in 1993, the then Chief Minister Sharad Pawar had rejected the
idea of handing hospitals to the Lions.
The civic hospitals can also be transformed with
installation of modern machineries and updating the system,
Mehta added. PTI VRK
