Doctors must document their cases to keep track of various kinds of treatment modalities that would serve as a guide for younger medicos and publish papers periodically based on their records, Principal Health Secretary V.K.S.Subburaj said here on Wednesday.
Speaking after the inauguration of a renovated operation theatre, and launch of video-assisted endoscopy and advanced laproscopy unit exclusively for General Surgery Department at the Government General Hospital, he said that according to the recent mandate of the Medical Council of India, government doctors should publish papers to be eligible for promotions. He added that the State Government has been upgrading many departments in various government hospitals to ensure proper care for patients.
On the awareness level among people about diabetic foot, he said while the prevalence of diabetes was growing at an alarming rate. People are still unaware of the impact of diabetes on multiple organs. Nearly 50 million people in India are diabetic and the number is growing fast. “Diabetes is setting in at a very young age mainly due to lifestyle changes. Prevention and control of diabetes is entirely in the hands of individuals,” he said.
Doctors must sensitise people with diabetes to the commonly occurring foot-related diseases and stress on maintaining hygiene to prevent foot ulcers. Quoting a survey, Mr. Subburaj said treating diabetic foot problems was an expensive affair and an average individual spends about 50 per cent of his income on diabetic foot problems.
“Wearing a right type of footwear is as important as keeping feet clean. Diabetic patients should be taught the right way of maintaining their feet,” he said, after launching a publication ‘Diabetic Foot: Surgical principles and practices.’
The book, authored by G.Sivakumar, professor of Surgery, Madras Medical College, talks about various aspects of treating diabetic foot ulcers and other foot-related diseases. Madras Medical College Dean J.Mohanasundaram and Head of the Department of Surgery G.Gunaseelan spoke on the occasion.
