TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: A casual ‘diabetes, hypertension and body fat percentage detection camp’ organised by the Candolim Primary Health Centre threw up surprising results with around 75% of the patients who came in, were diagnosed to be obese and as many as 16% were found to be suffering from diabetes mellitus and were unaware of it.
“It was found that 16% of patients detected to be suffering from Diabetes Mellitus and were unaware of the same. 75% were obese. 70% of the existing Diabetics were also found to be obese/ having more than normal percentage body fat. 30% of the diabetics who entered that day were found to be uncontrolled,” Medical Officer Dr Roshan Nazareth said.
When asked the possible reasons for such a situation, Dr Nazareth said it was mainly the consequences of uncontrolled obesity.
“Most common cause of diabetes’ late onset is, obesity. (The) first stage of getting diabetes is what we call pre-diabetes. It usually takes place because of increased insulin resistance. That is there is enough of insulin, but insulin is not acting because of extra layers of fat. These patients who come here are not well controlled basically because of obesity. They’re not doing exercise, not managing their diet and to get rid of obesity. So that is the message we tried to put across to them,” Dr Nazareth said.
He said that detection of diabetes usually takes place only when people have reached an extreme stage, or end up getting hospitalised for a heart attack or stroke, which shouldn’t be the case. “We try to emphasise that patients should come for regular checkups in order to detect diabetes at an early stage. Then it can be treated,” Dr Nazareth said.
The diabetes camp was a first of its kind organised by the Candolim PHC in association with the Village Health and Sanitation committee (VHSC), Candolim. The camp was inaugurated by the Sarpanch of Candolim and the Chairperson of the VHSC, Sandra Fialho.
The Candolim PHC has begun to take a lot of initiatives under its new Health Officer Dr Margaret Sequeira. The PHC does regular blood sugar testing by prior appointments on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and Blood Chemistry testing on Tuesdays and offers consultation for the same.
The Health Centre has also been conducting a series of anti-malarial drives in areas under its jurisdiction and most recently at Khobra Vaddo in Calangute which included checking for mosquito breeding sites as well as awareness programmes in the area. The diabetes camps too will be taken to all areas under the jurisdiction of the Candolim PHC.
