We have yet another episode of this season. We are celebrating DR awareness fortnight. This episode is a focus on DR and public health. Diabetes is a major health problem. Worldwide and especially in a developing nation like ours, it has assumed gigantic proportions leading to major burden on individual patients and society at large. As an ophthalmologist we deal with diabetic patients or rather, one of its complications routinely, Diabetic retinopathy. This is a difficult disease to manage from public health perspective. It remains silent in the background and when it does manifest, through vision debility, it is a challenge to manage in many patients, given its social/psychological & financial implications.

Given the systematic nature of this disease, DR needs team management, apart from eye care professionals, diabetologist/physician/GP, nutritional experts but most importantly participation of society at large.

This podcast episode, is a discussion on improving this network to deliver effective prophylactic care to our patients, focusing the most important aspect of care, of involvement of patient/care givers and society to lessen the burden of this ever increasing problem.

This episode features Dr Rajeev Raman, Vitreo-retina surgeon, Sankara Netralaya, Chennai, Dr Kuldeep Dole, Comminity Ophthalmologist, H V Desai Eye Hospital, Pune and Dr Unnikrishnan A G, Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, Chellaram Diabetes Centre, Pune. The podcast host is Dr Mandar Paranjpe, Comprehensive Ophthalmologist, Pune