Smt. Smriti Irani Flags-off Rang De Neela Rural Outreach Program 2023

The objective of Rang De Neela is to create awareness about diabetes and preventing amputation

Over fifty metabolic physicians from across India will visit weavers and other artists in the remotest villages to educate them on preventing chronic conditions with health advocacy.

Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Irani, on Monday, flags-off the Rang De Neela, rural outreach program 2023, for creating awareness about diabetes and amputation, several prominent doctors and senior executives from leading hospitals and healthcare organizations were present during the ceremony. During the flag-off ceremony, Smt. Smriti Irani tied a blue protection band onto an emblem, an art mannequin with a message promoting the importance of preventing amputations, and signed an appeal on a wall art themed "Save the Saree Tradition".  

Rang De Neela is a cross-sectoral initiative that recognizes the transformative power of art to enhance lives, the initiative was launched to educate rural populations about the risks associated with untreated metabolic disorders such as diabetes. The program aims to promote the importance of preventing amputations and saving the saree tradition.

Smt. Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, congratulated Rang De Neela for bringing a creative twist in the management of diabetes. She said "Diabetes is a lifestyle disease, they say, I am somebody, who has parents with diabetes and that is why my grateful thanks to the doctors, the community leaders, the thought leaders who are coming together to save people from the challenges that arise out of this disease, that does not affect the individuals alone, but has an impact on the entire family."

While, Dr. Rajiv Kovil, Consultant Diabetologist and co-founder of the Rang De Neela, stressed the need to educate rural populations regarding the consequences of amputation. Dr. Kovil, said "In rural India, in people with diabetes neuropathy, doctors can salvage the limbs in only 20% to 30% of the cases. Lack of awareness and treatment are the key reasons. Given the present scenario, it is vital to educate rural populations regarding the consequences of amputation, and Rang De Neela aims to do just that," Further he added that, “Every year, 100,000 diabetes-related amputations are performed in India, it is important to highlight the need for mass awareness campaigns like Rang De Neela's initiative to educate rural populations about the consequences of amputation and promote the importance of preventing them.”  

Dr. Ami Shah, PhD (Social Sciences), Co-founder of Zandra Healthcare and Rang De Neela initiative, emphasized the importance of combining art with health promotion. She said "Rang De Neela works in tandem with artistic media to bring about positive health outcomes. It also tries to understand local health concerns in the country."  

Rang De Neela's rural outreach program is an innovative and necessary initiative that combines healthcare with art and tradition to create a better and healthier India. Over fifty metabolic physicians from across India will visit weavers and other artists in the remotest villages to educate them on preventing chronic conditions with health advocacy. They will also encourage them to test key metabolic markers, track them regularly, and treat metabolic conditions if diagnosed. In addition, they will weave a saree along with the weavers and promote the weave via an auction, thus improving the weavers' reach to direct buyers.