Centre for diabetic care officially commissioned on East Coast

The Lusignan Diabetes Comprehensive Centre located on the East Coast of Demerara has been officially commissioned and open to diabetic patients in surrounding communities.

It will provide a holistic approach to the care of diabetic patients and stymie the development of irreversible complications.

Foot care management, eye care screening, laboratory testing, heart care management, endocrinology, kidney care, radiology services, dietary and mental counselling and physiotherapy and rehabilitated services will be offered, as part of the ministry’s effort to decrease the number of fatalities linked to non-communicable diseases.

The centre will also support laboratory testing for all health facilities along the east coast corridor and at the same time, become a training hub for medical personnel in diabetes management.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, during his feature address, noted that this initiative is geared towards reducing the instances of fatalities, caused by non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.

“We want to demonstrate over another year or so… We’ll do an evaluation to see if this has been effective, if this is reducing the complications of diabetes… if this is delaying in some cases. We want to assess all of that and if we see what we envisage that this is working, then this model will be replicated in other parts of our country,” Dr Anthony highlighted.

He added that other programmes will be rolled out which will target other types of non-communicable diseases.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Presidential Commission of the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Dr Leslie Ramsammy commended the initiative.

“We believe that from this centre, actions will be taken to improve the services that we provide for diabetes care around the country,” he asserted. Meanwhile, PAHO Representative, Luis Codina expressed, “PAHO is confident that the services provided at the centre will ensure better management and patients affected by diabetes and its complications.”