Awareness stressed to overcome diabetes cases

PESHAWAR: Health experts have called for awareness about the causes, prevention and timely investigations to find diabetes and ensure prompt management to safegaud affected people from complications.

“We have planned to set-up 600-bed hospital only for diabetic patients to provide treatment as well as carry out research on the prevalence of the disease along with scaling public awareness,” Prof Dr Roohul Muqeem, medical director, Aims Diabetes Hospital and Research Centre, Hayatabad, told a ceremony on Monday.

The hospital will be modelled after Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) and run by noted physician Muhammad Ibrahim which is benefitting the patients since 1980.

Prof Muqeem, a former Medical Director of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), said that it will be the first-ever specialised hospital for the patients where they would get all services under one roof.The event was organised by Diabetes Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to mark the World Diabetes Day.

Currently, he said they were providing all services to patients on Rs100 in which they were checked by ophthalmologist, dentist, endocrinologist, surgeon, and physicians, to ensure their comprehensive treatment but the patients’ load warranted a full-scale hospital in the province.

“We have planned to charge the rich and spend the same money on the treatment of the poor who cannot afford,” he said.Dr Ziaul Hassan, president, Diabetes Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said they ran 12 centres to diagnose patients at the primary level as early investigation saved the people from host of complication, including amputation of legs.

“Diabetes is mother of all illnesses and it requires many specialists for management. One patient impacts the entire family, therefore, we want awareness and full scale services,” he said.Dr Ashfaq Ali of Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) said that accessibility and affordability were main challenges faced by the people and the patients were wandering to get insulin while the female patients encountered stigma because the people were afraid of marrying them due to the expenditure of treatment and also held wrong notions such as their inability to produce kids.

Dr Khalid Usman, an endocrinologist at HMC vice president Diabetes Association, complained that measures weren’t initiated as the prevalence of diabetes was 10.5 per cent which will surge to 46 per cent by 2045. According to him, there should be screening and awareness camapigns and risk assessment to be followed by effective interventions.