Awareness of diabetes-blindness can save sight'

Chennai: India is home to 12 million blind people, a majority of whom suffers from Diabetic Retinopathy. Of the 12 million blind Indians, many of them are in Tamil Nadu.  Lack of awareness and finances are said to be factors responsible for the same.

“People do not go to the doctor early enough. At the early stage, Diabetic Retinopathy does not cause any blindness. However, in the advanced phase, when a person experiences a defective vision, it will be too late for the patient to regain that lost vision,” said Dr Lionl Raj, head, medical services, Dr Agarwal’s Foundation, Tirunelveli.

Considering the global burden of blindness, India is recognised as the team captain. Tamil Nadu also has a very high rank. “The state is known to have a very high percentage of diabetics and the disease has its effect on various organs of the body, including the eye,” said a senior health official.

“Nearly 80 percentage of blindness is avoidable – could be prevented or cured - if treated in time. Ignorance about the disease is the reason why Tamil Nadu and the country as a whole has such a high rank,” said Prof. Amar Agarwal, CMD, Dr Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals.

It has been found that one of the main reasons for corneal blindness is infection to the cornea. “Whenever there is a foreign body in the cornea, we try to remove it by indigenous measures, or we try to apply some medicines that we get over the counter,” said a doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

“I had trouble with my vision a little after I was detected with diabetes. Along with a complete health check up each year, I check my eyes at Schell Eye Hospital, Vellore,” said 60-year-old J.John, a diabetic. “Creating awareness on the link is not the only solution. Diabetes is a very expensive disease and the government shou ld provide free health care facilities to the poor in order to bring down the burden,” he opined.     

At an event conducted by Dr Agarwal’s Retina Foundation to inaugurate the conference titled ‘Reticon’, chief guest Justice B. Rajendran, Judge, Madras high court, stressed on the need to educate people on the latest techniques in retinal surgery.