Karnataka Endocrinology Institute to begin HBOT therapy for diabetic foot

Bengaluru: With nearly 25,000 patients seeking care annually for diabetic foot and podiatry issues, the Karnataka Endocrinology Institute and Research (KEIR) will become the first government facility in the state to introduce Hyperbaric Therapy (HBT) exclusively for diabetic foot.

The institution which deals exclusively with diabetic patients sees up to 120 patients everyday arriving with a diabetic foot. The KIER is one of the first institutions to have a dedicated podiatry department. 

“India is already the diabetic capital of the world. It is obvious that we will have more diabetic related problems and diabetic foot is the next big health challenge,” Dr Belehalli Pavan, Head of Department of Podiatry
said. 

While people suffering with one diabetic foot was a common occurrence in the past few years, people coming in with both feet compromised has become a regular occurrence
at the KIER. 

“Podiatry is the department that should ideally deal with diabetic foot but when something happens to the feet, the patients immediately visit orthopaedics. Orthopaedics should immediately refer to us but the lack of awareness in patients and medical staff leads to amputation of limbs many times,” said the doctor. 

The institution has also set up digital foot scanners in Chikkaballapur Primary Health Center to help people from other districts access the treatment from their places instead of travelling to Bengaluru. 

“We are in touch with the health department to allow us set it up in PHCs and other government health care to help people get good treatment,” he said. 

The treatment

Victoria Hospital in 2022 became the first government hospital to set up a five-person Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit to treat non-healing wounds such as burns. 

The KIER will be introducing two HBOT units to help wounds heal faster. “Wounds do not heal fast for diabetic patients which will later lead to infections and further amputation. We have set up therapy chambers to fasten recovery,” said Dr Belehalli
Pavan. 

Each session will be of 70 minutes and the chamber will have twice the atmospheric pressure than normal with pure oxygen inside the chamber. Along with a patient an attender will also be allowed inside the chamber. Light, water and facilities for fire emergencies are in place. 

The machine was procured at Rs one crore from CSR fund. The price for therapy in other therapy centers starts from Rs 3,000 and KIER will be providing it at less than half the fee charged by the private hospitals.