Sankara Nethralaya, keeping its indomitable spirit lofty, observed World Diabetes Day to create awareness amongst the general public about the pandemic disorder that has gripped India even amongst younger generation.
The Sri V.D.Swami Auditorium the venue of the lecture on diabetes and the presentation of Dhingra Awards for students pursuing higher education on the evening of 13th November 2014, was packed to capacity with enthusiastic participants including a host of consultants, employees and others eagerly awaiting the talk by leading diabetologist and crusader against the ailment Dr.V.Mohan, Founder and Chairman, Mohan’s Diabetes Centre.
Following the mellifluous invocation by Dr.S.R Bharathi Devi, Post Doctoral Fellow, R.S Mehta Jain Department of Biochemistry, Dr.Tarun Sharma, Director, Bhagwan Mahaveer Vitreo Retinal services, welcomed the gathering and introduced Padma Shri Dr. V.Mohan as one who was recognised as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians by all the 4 graduate schools in UK. He highlighted that as a Clinician cum researcher, Dr Mohan had over 900 publications, 150 chapters in books and over 200 invited editorials to his credit adding that with his high spirit of community service Dr. Mohan had conducted over 2000 free diabetic camps to a thunderous applause by the audience.
Chief guest and speaker Dr.V.Mohan, dedicated the day’s lecture to his role model Dr.SS Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya. He gave a clarion call to the threat which India faced today – Diabetes, which has grown from a mere 2.3% in 1972 to a monstrous 24.7% in 2014, accounting to about 65.1 million diabetics and 77 million pre-diabetics.
In his invigorating lecture, Dr. Mohan tabled statistics that showed Asians, especially Indians as being prone to the pandemic of diabetes, the contributing factor being both genetic and environmental. He observed “India suffered from ‘Affluenza’ or ‘being rich” that was characteristically marked by absence of physical activity, higher glycemic load and sedentary life, more so in urban regions and increasingly in rural regions too.
Dr. Mohan, elaborated that India, while contributing to rapid economic growth also contributed to rapid nutritional transition from consuming wholesome food to eating junk food that ended up in excess calories coupled with decreased physical activity. He observed that his institution’s pioneering work helped innovating High Fibre Rice that had five times higher fibre content and lower glycemic index, a diet that could be cost effective, feasible and sustainable.
He shared the institution’s success story that enabled diabetes prevention among the masses in a significant way with specific relevance to a pilot project carried at Chennai during late 90’s by an effective methodology of building parks in the neighbourhood thereby inculcating the habit of exercising and being close to nature.
Dr.Mohan emphasized the need for Medicare to reach out to the masses, focussing on rural locations and giving back to the society, subtly highlighting his institution’s remarkable Tele Diabetology Van services and the Chunampet Rural Diabetes Prevention project, that trained the locals on the awareness, prevention and management of diabetes in order that they tackle the spiralling menace of diabetes and related complications effectively.
In conclusion, Dr.Mohan observed that even small life style changes would greatly pave way for healthy living for diabetics.
Dr.P.G.Raman, Senior Diabetologist, former HOD, Diabetology, Indore Medical College, in his address stressed the importance of being vigilant about post prandial blood sugar levels to keep at bay cardio artery or kidney disorders, by effective diet patterns.
The day also marked the distribution of the Dhingra Awards to wards of employees’ pursuing higher education by Sri. Dilip Bajaj, Director, South India Surgical Company Ltd, he reiterated that he was proud to be associated with the Sankara Nethralaya a great institution and quoted that “if one wanted to go fast – he would be alone, if one wanted to go far – he would go with everyone”, appreciating the values of the institution that triggered training, research and eye care to benefit one and all.
The Diabetic Retinopathy poster awards were bagged by Dr. Pratho Prathim Majumdar, Associate Consultant, UVEA department and Dr Prachir Agarwal, PG fellow at the VR department.
The day’s events concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr.G.Suganeswari, Senior Consultant, Vitreo Retina Department.