348 Diabetes Related Amputations This Year
So far this year, a total of 348 diabetes-related amputations were done at the three major divisional hospitals in Fiji: Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Lautoka Hospital and Labasa Hospital.
Minister for Health and Medical Services, Rosy Akbar made these remarks during the Second NCD (Non-Communicable Diseases) and Diabetes Congress 2018 at Studio 6 Apartments in Suva yesterday.
“Of the total amputations done, 216 were males while 132 females also got the amputations,” Ms Akbar said.
“The Ministry of Health is strongly focusing towards prevention of diabetes-related amputations through more regular checks and risk assessments, and earlier treatment to keep people with diabetes out of hospital.
“If the sores and ulcers on the foot are detected and treated effectively and early then they wouldn’t escalate to a situation where amputation is required.”
Ms Akbar said that a total of 386 Community Health Nurses have been trained in Diabetes Retinopathy Awareness Training and they are able to further assist the District Nurses and Zone Nurses in their programmes for wellness screening.
“The most common type (of Diabetes) is Type 2, which usually develops in adults, but is becoming more common in children,” she said.
“Type 1 diabetes on the other hand, is usually diagnosed in children and is less common than Type 2 diabetes and the total number of people living with Type 1 diabetes from 2014 to 2018 is 500.
“The youngest person living with Type 1 diabetes is 10-years-old in the Northern division and the youngest person living with `Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) in the North is 19 years of age.
Ms Akbar said all Fijians must choose a healthy lifestyle because it is also important that they actively embrace the messages on healthy eating and being physically active by doing regular exercises on a daily basis.
“There is a need to encourage people to quit smoking and reduce consumption of kava and alcohol which will go a long way in terms of reducing NCDs.
“People also need to know that having adequate rest including having adequate sleep and choosing a healthy lifestyle is the only way we can reduce the risk of getting NCDs”.
Chairman for Diabetes Fiji, Taabish Akbar said that each and every one of us has the ability and capability to change our lives.
“Type 2 diabetes is preventable and measurable, but yet people do not take necessary measures,” he said.
“People often feel that since diabetes is genetic they don’t have a choice. This is incorrect because we have genes for black hair and brown eyes which we have no control over”.
Mr Akbar said that diabetes is triggered by the choices we make in our life style.
“We need to consume responsibly,” he said.
Edited by Jonathan Bryce
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