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Karnataka has launched a new diabetic foot prevention initiative that aims to push screening, awareness, and early intervention further into communities that are often missed by specialist services. The programme, called PRAIAS — Podiatry Reach Across India for Awareness and Screening — was inaugurated at the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences in Kalaburagi on March 30, 2026.
The launch reflects growing concern over the scale of diabetes-related complications in India. According to the original report, the PRAIAS team says diabetic foot disease remains a major and preventable cause of limb loss, with the initiative designed to improve early detection, public awareness, and timely referral before ulcers and infections progress to more severe outcomes. That prevention-first approach is closely aligned with recommendations from the International Diabetes Federation and the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, both of which emphasise early screening and intervention in reducing diabetic foot complications.
PRAIAS was conceptualised by Bengaluru-based diabetic foot surgeons Dr. Sanjay Sharma and Dr. Pavan Belehalli, and is being driven by FootSecure and StrideAide, according to the source report. A central feature of the programme is a Digital Podiatry Screening Van, described as the first of its kind in India, which will travel to underserved and remote communities to provide screening and awareness services closer to where people live.
That mobile model is what makes the initiative especially relevant. In many regions, diabetic foot care is still delayed by late presentation, low awareness, and limited access to specialist services. By taking screening directly into communities, the Karnataka programme is trying to close the gap between urban medical infrastructure and rural or underserved populations. This is an inference based on the article’s description of the van-based outreach model and on widely recognised diabetes access challenges identified by the World Health Organization.
The initiative was inaugurated by Karnataka’s Minister for Medical Education, Dr. Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil, whose official role is listed by the Government of Karnataka Medical Education Department. Senior officials present at the launch included Dr. Umesh S R, Dean and Director of GIMS, and Dr. Shivakumar C R, Medical Superintendent.
For IMEA CPO readers, the bigger significance lies in how programmes like PRAIAS connect screening, rehabilitation, limb preservation, and long-term mobility outcomes. Diabetic foot disease is not only a diabetes issue; it is also a major challenge for healthcare systems trying to reduce avoidable amputation and preserve independence. That makes the story relevant across prosthetics, orthotics, rehabilitation medicine, wound care, and assistive technology. This is an inference drawn from the initiative’s stated prevention goals and from international diabetic foot guidance.
Karnataka’s launch of PRAIAS also shows how community-based screening models can support national prevention efforts. If the outreach campaign is sustained and scaled effectively, it could become a useful example of how diabetic foot awareness can be integrated into broader public health and rehabilitation strategies in India. That forward-looking assessment is an inference rather than a confirmed outcome.
- Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences
- Karnataka Medical Education Department
- International Diabetes Federation
- IDF diabetic foot clinical recommendations
- International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot
- World Health Organization diabetes overview
- WHO diabetes fact sheet
- IDF report on diabetes foot-related complications
