Latest update April 24th, 2026 12:40 AM
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Diabetes kills 23 in two years
According to a research by medical officials at the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) and the medical science department at the University of Guyana, the majority of patients who undergo diabetic- related major lower limb amputation at the GPHC die within two years.
During a two-year period, 75 persons had major amputations at GPHC. Complete records were obtained for 39 persons and 37 were traced. Of those with complete records, seven persons died within one month of the surgery; while 16 died within the two-year period post amputation.
Further, two persons had subsequent amputation and 15 persons had at least one follow up problem which included hemorrhage (bleeding), failure of wound to heal, wound infection and sepsis (blood poisoning).
Four patients were provided with prosthesis and 15 were using wheel chairs.
According to the researchers, the study was carried out among all patients who had major diabetes-related lower extremity amputations at the GPHC to determine their outcomes within a two-year period.
According to the World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
Hyperglycemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
The organization further informed that, Diabetes causes about five percent of all deaths globally each year. The statistics proved that 80 percent of the people with diabetes live in low and middle income countries and are middle-aged (45-64), not elderly (65+).
Deaths resulting from diabetes are likely to increase by more than 50 percent in the next ten years without urgent action, the researchers concluded.
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