Diabetics can get their vision checked at an eye clinic opened at a super-speciality hospital for endocrinology in the city.

New Gardiner Road Hospital, which runs a dedicated diabetes clinic, started the new clinic to help diabetic patients who are likely to develop vision-related problems. The most common ailment is diabetic retinopathy, in which the retina is damaged and can even lead to blindness.

U.K. Gupta, the director of New Gardiner Road Hospital, said: “The eye clinic has received around 500 patients. Diabetes can cause serious eye problems and in some cases can even lead to blindness. Since we run a diabetes clinic at our hospital, we thought that it would be helpful for the diabetic patients if they could get their eyes checked at the clinic. Therefore, we started the eye clinic.”

Gupta said 15 people have been detected with diabetic retinopathy in the clinic till now.

“In diabetic retinopathy, the tiny vessels inside the retina get damaged, which might cause loss of vision. Patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy can’t notice vision-related problems in the early stage of the disease. But, gradually, diabetic retinopathy usually causes loss of vision and it can’t be repaired.”

Gupta said people would not need to shell out money to get their eyes checked at the clinic.

“The facility is free for the patients,” he said.

Gupta said the hospital has asked the health department to provide funds for purchasing the state-of-the-art machines used for eye surgeries. “We don’t want to limit ourselves to eye check-up only. We have asked for funds from the state government to purchase modern equipment used in eye surgeries.”

The hospital has also asked the state government to upgrade its building. “We have also asked the state government to recruit more endocrinologists and diabetologists at the hospital. At present, there is only one endocrinologist and one diabetologist apart from five general practitioners,” Gupta said.