Chandigarh: Doctors throw light on diabetes’ impact on vision
Organised by “Chirag”, a public health awareness initiative of Grewal Eye Institute, Chandigarh, the session was led by ophthalmologists Dr Jagat Ram (former director, PGIMER), Dr Mangat Ram Dogra (former head of eye department, PGIMER), and Dr SPS Grewal (CEO, Grewal Eye Institute)
An awareness programme to enlighten the public about the impact of diabetes on vision, leading to partial or total blindness, was organised at IMA Complex, Sector 35, on the occasion of World Diabetes Day on Tuesday.

Organised by “Chirag”, a public health awareness initiative of Grewal Eye Institute (GEI), Chandigarh, the session was led by ophthalmologists Dr Jagat Ram (former director, PGIMER), Dr Mangat Ram Dogra (former head of eye department, PGIMER), and Dr SPS Grewal (CEO, GEI).
Dr Ram said it was very important to control diabetes before cataract surgery to avoid complications, especially in diabetic retinopathy cases. Multifocal intraocular lenses were not advised for diabetic retinopathy patients, he added.
He said patients should be informed about potential vision decrease post their cataract surgery, especially with moderate to severe diabetic retinopathy. Aggressive treatment of diabetic retinopathy before and after cataract surgery, such as anti-VEGF, steroids, or laser, can enhance visual outcomes and prevent further vision loss. Prolonged and intensive post-operative care is essential, he shared.
Dr Grewal emphasised the alarming increase in diabetes cases in India, attributing it to longer lifespans and sedentary lifestyles.
Dr Dogra shared that one of the significant complications of diabetes was diabetic retinopathy, affecting about one-third diabetic people, with one-fifth developing vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy.
‘Diabetes testing crucial after the age of 30’
While diabetes was previously known as a health problem associated with increasing age, now its risk was rising rapidly even in young people, said Dr Anil Bhansali, former head of the department of endocrinology, PGIMER, on Tuesday.
In a press release, Dr Bhansali said now, one in every four new diabetic patients was below 40 years of age. He stressed that people of all ages need to be aware of diabetes, and should improve their eating habits and lifestyle. “It is very important that every person should get tested for diabetes after the age of 30,” he added. On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, an awareness campaign will be launched in Sector 69 on November 15, he said.
