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Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smriti Irani today launched the Rang De Neela, rural outreach program 2023, which is aimed at creating awareness about diabetes and preventing diabetes-related amputations.
Rang De Neela will focus on using the power of art to educate rural populations about the risks associated with untreated metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
During the flag-off ceremony, Smriti Irani said that diabetes is a lifestyle disease that does not affect the patient alone but has an impact on the entire family. She also praised the creator for bringing a creative twist in the management of diabetes.
Several prominent doctors and senior executives from leading hospitals and healthcare organizations attended the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rajiv Kovil, Consultant Diabetologist and co-founder of the Rang De Neela, stressed the need to educate rural populations regarding the consequences of diabetes-related amputations.
According to Dr. Kovil, in rural India, doctors can save the limbs in only 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the cases of diabetes neuropathy. He cited lack of awareness and treatment as the key reasons for high number of diabetes-related amputations in rural India.
Further he added that as many as 100,000 diabetes-related amputations are performed in India every year.
Their Rang De Neela initiative aims to educate rural populations about the consequences of amputation and promote the importance of preventing them.
Dr. Ami Shah, PhD (Social Sciences), Co-founder of Zandra Healthcare and Rang De Neela initiative, emphasized the importance of combining art with health promotion. She said, "Rang De Neela works in tandem with artistic media to bring about positive health outcomes. It also tries to understand local health concerns in the country."
It combines healthcare with art and tradition to create a better and healthier India. As part of this initiative, more than 50 metabolic physicians from across India will visit weavers and other artists in the remotest villages to educate them on preventing chronic conditions with health advocacy. The weavers will be encouraged to test their key metabolic markers, track them regularly, and treat metabolic conditions if diagnosed.
Additionally, the program will help weavers to promote their weave (saree) via an auction to improve their reach to direct buyers.
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