CHENNAI: In response to the global concern over the rising number of diabetic cases, Central Leather Research institute (CLRI) along with the M V Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre has come up with a unique solution for it — a shoe named ‘Diastep’.
“This is one of the very unique designs to have come out of this nation to address a global problem,” T Ramasami, Union Secretary,Department of Science and Technology, said.
Yet another feather in the cap of the CLRI, which has released close to 10 products and patented nine others this year alone, Diastep has taken 12 years for its development.
The shoe has been designed to prevent foot complications for people with diabetes and to avoid amputation.
“Over 20 per cent of the diabetes patients in the country has had some kind of amputation and the World Health Organisation has reported that the number of diabetic people in India, the world capital for diabetes, will increase to 50 million by 2010. Hence the only solution is to fight it at the very beginning with measures such as Diastep,” M V Hospital MD Dr Vijay Viswanathan said.
Ramasami, under whose supervision the public-private joint venture was first initiated when he headed CLRI, explained that much effort had been taken in the engineering aspect of Diastep with fashion and product design incorporated so that the main purpose, cure to the disease, has not been compromised.