Diabetic foot screening initiative launched

Mangaluru: Father Muller Medical College Hospital inaugurated the advanced Karl Storz Image 1S Rubina endoscopic visualisation platform and launched the nationwide Podiatric Reach Across India for Awareness and Screening (PRAYAS) initiative at the hospital on Thursday.The inauguration was conducted by Fr Faustine Lucas Lobo, director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions, in the presence of administrators, faculty members, clinicians and healthcare professionals.The new laparoscopic visualisation system was commissioned by the department of surgical oncology at the Father Muller Oncology Centre under the leadership of Prof Dr Rohanchandra R Gatty. The system is expected to strengthen minimally invasive oncological surgeries and improve surgical precision and patient careAddressing the gathering, Dr Rohanchandra R Gatty said the technology would support complex oncological procedures through enhanced imaging and visualisation.The new platform features 4K imaging, 3D visualisation and Near-Infrared/Indocyanine Green fluorescence imaging technology for improved tissue assessment and identification of anatomical structures during surgery.Following the commissioning ceremony, a diabetic foot screening camp under the PRAYAS initiative was inaugurated. The programme was organised by the department of general medicine in association with PRAYAS, India’s first limb-preservation mission on wheels.Dr Srilakshmi M Prabhu, associate professor and convener of the programme, highlighted the importance of early diabetic foot screening and preventive care to reduce complications and amputations among diabetic patients.According to a release from the medical college, the PRAYAS initiative aims to create awareness about diabetic foot disease and prevent avoidable amputations through screening, education and clinician engagement across the country.The initiative is set to travel across 62 cities over seven months, covering more than 10,000km through 124 events, the release stated.