Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya has released a new book on diabetic foot awareness at Lok Bhavan in Guwahati, bringing renewed public attention to one of India’s most urgent but preventable causes of lower-limb amputation. The book, titled Diabetic Foot: Some Unknown Facts, has been authored by Dr Sudhir Kumar Jain and was launched as part of a wider effort to improve awareness among patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.
According to the original report in The Sentinel Assam, the Governor used the event to highlight the rising prevalence of diabetes and the importance of timely medical intervention. He said the publication could help address misconceptions around diabetic foot infections and support better public understanding of prevention and treatment.
For BharatCPO readers, the significance of the launch goes beyond the publication of a health-awareness book. Diabetic foot disease sits directly at the intersection of medicine, podiatry, orthotics, prosthetics, vascular care, wound management and rehabilitation. When detected early and managed correctly, many diabetic foot complications can be controlled. When ignored, they can progress to ulcers, infection, hospitalisation and amputation.
Dr Jain’s message at the launch was clear: prevention remains better than cure, and early medical attention is essential. The book has reportedly been published in Assamese, Hindi and English, making it accessible to a wider readership across Assam and beyond.
This multilingual approach is particularly important in India, where diabetic foot awareness cannot remain limited to specialist clinics or urban hospitals. Patients need clear, practical information in languages they understand. Families and caregivers also need to know the warning signs: numbness, wounds that do not heal, swelling, redness, callus formation, changes in skin colour, deformity, footwear-related pressure and loss of protective sensation.
For orthotists, prosthetists and foot-care professionals, diabetic foot prevention is a core part of limb preservation. Therapeutic footwear, custom insoles, pressure redistribution, offloading devices and regular foot checks can reduce risk when used as part of a wider clinical pathway. The role of the CPO is not only to respond after amputation, but also to help prevent avoidable amputations through early assessment and appropriate orthotic intervention.
India’s diabetic foot challenge is also a public health challenge. A 2022 Indian study on diabetic foot self-care awareness found that patient education, screening and foot-care practices remain essential to reducing complications among people with diabetes. The study reinforces the need for practical awareness campaigns that reach patients before wounds become severe.
The launch in Assam should therefore be seen as part of a broader national need: to bring diabetic foot education into primary care, community health programmes, diabetes clinics, rehabilitation centres and orthotic practice. Too often, patients first seek help only after an ulcer has advanced or infection has spread. By that point, treatment becomes more complex, expensive and risky.
A stronger diabetic foot pathway in India should include:
- Routine foot screening for people with diabetes
- Patient education in local languages
- Early referral for wounds, deformity or loss of sensation
- Access to therapeutic footwear and pressure-relieving insoles
- Offloading for ulcers and high-risk feet
- Coordination between diabetologists, surgeons, podiatrists, orthotists, prosthetists, nurses and physiotherapists
- Long-term follow-up after ulcer healing or amputation
For Assam and the wider Northeast, awareness efforts like this book launch can help strengthen community-level prevention. The region needs practical education that reaches patients in villages, towns and cities, supported by clinicians who can identify risk early and provide appropriate referral.
The book’s release also creates an opportunity for India’s orthotics and prosthetics community to speak more clearly about diabetic foot care. CPOs are often associated with prosthetic rehabilitation after limb loss, but their contribution to prevention is equally important. Custom foot orthoses, depth footwear, rocker soles, ankle-foot orthoses, Charcot restraint orthotic walkers and other offloading solutions can be critical tools when prescribed and monitored correctly.
The message from Lok Bhavan is simple but important: diabetic foot disease must not be treated as an inevitable consequence of diabetes. With awareness, timely diagnosis, proper footwear, regular screening and coordinated care, many patients can avoid severe infection and amputation.
For BharatCPO, this is exactly the kind of public health issue that deserves more attention. India’s rehabilitation and O&P sector has a major role to play in shifting diabetic foot care from late-stage crisis response to early prevention, limb preservation and long-term mobility.
- Original Sentinel Assam article
- Rongili Barta report on the diabetic foot book launch
- PubMed study on awareness of diabetic foot self-care practices in India
- International Diabetes Federation diabetes complications overview
- World Health Organization diabetes fact sheet
- Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India
- Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India