THE Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has trained 34 healthcare professionals on Diabetic Retinopathy.

According to the Ophthalmology Department of GPHC, the training programme was conducted in Linden on May 19, 2019.

The one-day workshop was part of the Guyana Diabetic Retinopathy Programme’s mandate to promote education and awareness about Diabetes in the eyes. The training targeted healthcare professionals such as general medical practitioners and nurses.

The training team of five comprised personnel from various levels at GPHC and included an ophthalmologist, optometrist, general practitioner, nutritionist and a nurse.

Participants were trained to understand diabetes; nutritional aspects of diabetes care; counselling of persons with diabetes; diabetes and how it affects the eye; screening for diabetic retinopathy and they were also taught how to examine the eye during practical sessions.

At the end of the workshop, participants gave positive reviews about the session and indicated that they have a better understanding of how diabetes affects the eye. Majority of participants were pleased with the curriculum and the format and flow of the presentations.

The Guyana Diabetic Retinopathy programme is part of the Guyana Diabetes Care Project of the Ministry of Health. This project is being funded by the World Diabetes Foundation along with other international stakeholders such as Orbis International and the University of Toronto.

The main objective of the programme is to establish a formal Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Treatment Programme in Guyana. Since the project started in July 2016, persons with diabetes have been able to access regular screening for diabetic eye complications.