KARACHI (PR): Most of the diabetes related leg amputations are preventable through organized foot care. Eminent physicians and surgeons from across the country will speak at the Symposium organized by Pakistan Working Group on Diabetic Foot and Baqai Institute of Diabetology & Endocrinology. Pakistan Working on Diabetic Foot (PWGDF) in collaboration with Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology is organizing a symposium on diabetic foot at a local hotel on 28th and 29th September 2013 . A press conference was organized to announce the symposium.  Prof Abdul Basit, Chairman of Pakistan Working Group on Diabetic Foot told that  foot complications are among the most serious and costly complications of diabetes. In Pakistan, about 10% of the diabetics suffer from foot problems, many of which lead to leg amputation.  Currently there are over 400,000 people with foot ulcers in the country.

Diabetic foot is a source of huge economic burden, the direct cost of treating a diabetic foot ulcer being between Rs 3500- 61000 which is more than 10 times the average health expenditure of a Pakistani.
To treat all the people with foot ulcers an amount double the total health budget of Pakistan, is needed. Unawareness, shortage of trained health care professionals and scarcity of foot care facilities are major causes of diabetes related leg amputations, 45-89pc of which are preventable through timely and efficient foot care. We have been conducting nation wide training programs and have established 115 diabetic foot clinics. However further 1700 such clinics are required.