Dr Vijay Viswanathan, managing director, M
V Hospital for Diabetes, said the 9,570 people selected for the study
had lost sensation in their feet or had decreased blood circulation in
their legs. "We provided simple foot care management, like daily
examination of foot, pedicure and providing them with proper footwear.
Constant reminders were sent to the patients to take care of their feet
through mails and telephone calls. At the end of the study we found out
that it is possible to improve foot care practices among high risk foot
diabetic patients and prevent major amputations."
The study proved fruitful as only 6% of the patients studied had to
amputate their legs. We have started to make polyurethane foam footwear
which is supposed to be the best for diabetic patients because use of
normal rubber slippers and barefoot walking are prime reasons that lead
to amputation. The study showed that about 24.4% of the patients who had
to be amputated used rubber slippers or walked barefoot.
Cricketer Robin Singh who distributed walking aids to diabetic patients
said that "chances of getting injured under the feet and toes are high
while playing cricket. Players are often on their foot and the legs take
the maximum stress."
