Health Minister launches extremity MRI in private hospital

CHENNAI: Health minister Ma Subramanian inaugurated Extremity MRI, Silicone Prosthetics Department and Foot Care on Wheels initiative at a private hospital in the city on Friday.

The Extremity MRI is the first of its kind technology that enables to scan the extremities such as foot or leg or hand and arm without entering a claustrophobic tunnel.

Dr RK Diabetic Foot and Podiatry Institute & Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Amputation Prevention Center is the first center in India to have an extremity MRI.

With the help of the technology, one can finish scanning the imbs sitting comfortably reading a newspaper or sipping a cup of coffee as the machine provides high-quality images in a short time.

Dr Rajesh Kesavan, founder of the Dr RK Diabetic Foot & Podiatry Institute said that the Extremity MRI is also capable of generating dynamic images of the limbs helping to visualise the ligaments and joints in motion.

The institute also launched Foot care on Wheels initiative to reach patients who have difficulty traveling as their mobility would be timid due to foot ulcers.

Among people with diabetes mellitus, it is reported that about 20 percent of people are at risk for foot ulceration as a result of neuropathy. Many of them lose their limbs due to diabetic foot.

The state health department is also working towards reducing the amputations due to diabetic foot and a project of establishing foot clinics is being implemented at a cost of Rs 1.05 crore in taluk hospital of Thanjavur.

The department is also collaborating with private hospitals for the same to detect foot injuries and blood vessel damage caused by diabetes at an early stage and prevent amputation.

The institute also introduced the Silicone Prosthesis department to ensure that the patients don’t suffer any emotional trauma because of amputation and they can comfortably wear the prosthetics as they look exactly like their own feet or toe.