Screening programme for relatives of diabetic patients

Proper control of diabetes can prevent long-term complications, says Dow university VC.

KARACHI: A screening programme for the relatives of diabetic patients was opened on Monday at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Ojha Campus.

Proper control of diabetes can prevent or delay long-term complications, said DUHS pro vice-chancellor and Sindh Medical College principal Prof Umar Farooq during the inauguration ceremony, which was held in collaboration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIDE), a constituent institution of DUHS.

Healthcare providers can play a significant role in preventing the disease from ruining a patient’s life by arranging awareness campaigns and organising screening programmes, he said.

The disease can be controlled provided that diabetics, who do become their own doctors with a passage of time, realise that threats from the disease can be foiled through needful contributions from governments, communities and pharmaceutical industries, he added.

NIDE director Prof Zaman Shaikh said that the screening programme for relatives will include full clinical check-up and important lab tests like blood CP (CBC), ESR, FB sugar, urine DR, FS lipid profile and HbA1c.

According to International Diabetics Federation estimates, 285 million people in the world are suffering from diabetes and it is estimated that the figures will increase by nearly 54 per cent by the year 2030, said Prof Shaikh.

He said the situation in Pakistan is alarming with a current diabetic population of 7.1 million, which makes Pakistan the seventh country in the world to have the most diabetic patients.

He added that it is expected that Pakistan will climb the chart to number four by the year 2030 given that the present prevalence in 7.6 per cent.

Referring to the death rate in Pakistan, he said: “we face approximately 88,000 deaths — 35,615 males and 52,397 females — per annum in our country due to diabetes and its related complications”.

Residents of big cities should be careful about consuming unhealthy food and must exercise regularly to avoid diabetes, he advised.

NIDE launches first MD programme

Meanwhile, NIDE is also planning to start its first MD programme in diabetes and endocrinology soon, said Prof Shaikh.

This will be a four-year diploma programme for diabetes nurses in collaboration with the Institute of Nursing. DUHS will also a launch one-year programme, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2011.