Bengaluru, 23 March 

The Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research (KIER) in Bengaluru has introduced Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat diabetic foot complications, particularly chronic, non-healing wounds, marking a first for a government facility in the State.

HBOT is a specialised treatment in which patients breathe pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber, allowing the blood to carry higher levels of oxygen to damaged tissues. This accelerates healing, fights infection and promotes the growth of new blood vessels—critical for patients with poor circulation.

The institute, which exclusively treats diabetic patients, handles around 120 diabetic foot cases daily and houses one of the earliest dedicated podiatry departments. It has set up two HBOT units, procured at a cost of approximately ₹1 crore through CSR funding.

Each session lasts about 70 minutes, during which patients breathe oxygen at nearly twice the normal atmospheric pressure. To ease anxiety, one attendant is permitted inside during treatment.

HBOT is designed to reduce infections, speed up wound healing and lower the risk of amputations. KIER plans to offer the therapy at less than half the cost charged by private hospitals, where sessions typically begin at Rs 3,000.

India accounts for one in seven adults living with diabetes globally, with diabetic foot ulcers affecting up to 34 per cent of patients. In Karnataka, prevalence ranges between 12–16 per cent, with up to 13,500 new cases annually, contributing to nearly 80 per cent of non-traumatic lower limb amputations.