-workshop give project thumbs-up reviews project
DIABETES has been long recognised as the third leading cause of death overall in Guyana, and in order to turn around the situation, the Ministry of Health has partnered with a number of organizations to initiate what is now the Guyana Diabetic Foot project. Among those agencies with which the ministry partnered are the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons.
Subsequent to a workshop for healthcare practitioners last December, another was held Friday at the Project Dawn facility at Liliendaal to review the partnership, particularly where the foot-care project was concerned, which has as its objective reducing the number of amputations and complications related to those living with diabetes, the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the GPHC and regional diabetic foot centres in Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice) , Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice), and training  health-care workers.
Speaking at the workshop, Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said: “The impact of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is not restricted to developing countries and the poor in any country… It is indeed universal in its impact.”
He noted that in 2010, for instance, 6.3 percent of all the hospital discharges were diabetics, an indication of the seriousness of the illness’s impact on a country that is striving to end poverty. Persons with diabetes, he said, were also found to spend the most days in hospital, outside of those nursing other injuries and pregnant women.  It was also reported that in the last year alone, there were some 59 amputations, most of which were on men.
Dr. Madan Rambaran, meanwhile, expressed his satisfaction with the programme, noting that it was established a few years ago as a spin-off of a collaboration with the Canadian Association of General Surgeons which saw the introduction of post- graduate medical training here.
He, too, had a few statistics of his own to share, whereby he noted that during discussions back then, it was recognised that more than 30 to 40 percent of the general surgical beds at the GPHC were occupied by patients with diabetic foot disease, and that in response to this development, a coherent, organised and structured approach and adaptation of best practices were initiated to address the situation. 
He said that apart from the training of healthcare professionals, persons at the community level were also trained to push awareness. And now that the Guyana Diabetic Foot project has been implemented, it has been recognised  that there has been a significant reduction (in the vicinity of 50 percent) in the number of amputations being done at the GPHC, though that figure could drastically change since a study is currently being done to determine if this were true.
Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS), Dr. Brian Ostrow noted that since the start of the programme in 2010, there has been significant achievements, including the development of the project and training of nine key opinion leaders (healthcare professionals), who are  expected to see the project to the finish.
Phase Two of the project entails its expansion to Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten, whereby services will be provided in addressing the general care of diabetic patients from the point of diagnosis, prevention, behavioural practices, control of sugar levels and preventing the complications of sugar.
At the end of the day, it is anticipated that some 350 health workers, from all the various departments of the public health system, would have received training in the various aspects of diabetic care. (GINA)