The general impression is that farmers do not have diabetes as they do a lot of hard work as part of their farming activities. A sample study conducted on farmers at the Seethammadhara Rythu Bazaar in the city has puzzled even the medical experts.
While the incidence of diabetes among farmers across the world is low, the sample study has revealed the prevalence of diabetes was a high 18 per cent among farmers. “The saddest part is that 70 per cent of the affected farmers do not even know they have diabetes, leave alone the fact that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to stroke and paralysis,” says Dr. Kootikuppala Surya Rao, noted physician from the city, who conducted the study along with his team recently.
“Our Prime Minister talks of his vision of doubling the income of farmers by 2020. But, when a farmer is sick, how can he/she improve agriculture production. The lack of awareness and delayed treatment was indulging in complications like TB and stroke, resulting in high cost of treatment and impoverishing the farmers,” he says.
Dr. Surya Rao also wrote to the BJP Spokesperson Gopal Agarwal on the findings of the sample study and the need for an action plan to improve the health of farmers to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision.
Participating as chief guest at the 95th annual day of Andhra Medical College (AMC), earlier this week, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, former medical practitioner and former IAS officer, who founded the Lok Satta Party (LSP), said over 6 crore Indians were being impoverished every year in the country due to the high cost of health care. On hospitalisation, a patient was being forced to spend about 60 per cent of his annual income on medical bills. In the absence of insurance, they were being forced to pay out of their pockets.
B. Madhu Gopal
