Health Ministry records over 60,000 diabetic cases for 2021

Nov 20, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Health (MOH) has recorded over 60,000 diabetic cases for this year. Information emerging from the Ministry indicated that the number of diabetic cases is still constantly increasing. This was disclosed by Microbiologist and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, on Monday during an interview with Senior Journalist, Denis Chabrol on News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 Mhz FM- Demerara Waves Online News, and the President of the Guyana Diabetic Association (GDA), Ms. Glynis Alonzo-Beaton.

Microbiologist, and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

“Diabetes has been a pandemic for many, many decades. In Guyana itself, approximately 10 percent of the adult population is living with diabetes right now. [So] on that basis even though we may not be able to identify all of them at the moment, there are approximately 60,000 people that are living with diabetes in Guyana,” Dr. Ramsammy explained.
However, during the interview Dr. Ramsammy pointed out that, unlike Guyana, the rest of the world has approximately 11 percent of the adult population living with diabetes.
“We also know that in Guyana, Type 1 diabetes which is mainly among the children, there are approximately 170 children living with Type 1 diabetes. And in terms of mortality, diabetes usually ranks between fourth to sixth, in terms of the leading causes of death, that’s direct death. One of the leading co-morbidity for COVID-19 deaths has been diabetes, and this is across the world. [So] that is the situation in our country,” Dr. Ramsammy stated.
He further explained that Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti are ranked among the countries in the region with the highest diabetic cases. Ramsammy asserted that it is a major concern for Guyana.

President of the Guyana Diabetic Association, Ms. Alonzo-Beaton

“I suspect that at least 10 percent of the health expenditure of this country would be linked to diabetes,” Ramsammy noted.
Furthermore, diabetes often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose [blood sugar], either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.
As part of the MOH efforts to combat this dreadful disease, Ms. Beaton explained that the Association is currently working towards bringing into being an initiative to educate people. She also highlighted that the GDA is supported by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Ministry of Public Health’s Chronic Diseases Unit.
“I think COVID-19 did a blessing because we are now meeting almost every week. Patients coming to us and from the patients visiting us more often, we are able to carry on education of them. But remember we are central, we are in Georgetown. [So] it’s mostly Georgetown you get out of the other Regions; like twice per month they will come to my professional office, and visit us,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Beaton stated that moves are focused on helping diabetics to control their [food] portions.

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