THE city government has residents 20 years old and above to avail of the free diabetes assessment and screening offered in all barangay and district health centers.
This is in line with the City Health Office’s heightened campaign against the chronic disease in celebration of the National Diabetes Week (July 25-31).
The CHO Technical Division Chief Julinda Acosta, during the Madayaw Davao program aired over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Wednesday, said data from 2019 revealed that 6.3 percent of Filipinos had been diagnosed with diabetes, and that there are more than 463 million diabetic patients in the world.
“Now, if we don’t do something about it, talagang mag-increase ito up to 700 million by 2030,” Acosta said.
Chona Dazon, the CHO Non-Communicable Diseases Program Coordinator, urged Dabawenyos to avail themselves of the free diabetes screening in barangay and district health centers offered every Friday.
“Our health facilities are always open. Naa ta’y ginatawag na Diabetes and Heart Day every Friday (We have what we call the Diabetes and Heart Day every Friday),” Dazon said.
Danzon said the free screening is available to individuals as young as 20 years old because cases of juvenile diabetes has been on the rise globally.
People with obesity and history of diabetes in the family are also highly encouraged to avail themselves of the free screening, she said.
Those diagnosed with the disease are advised to register under the CHO’s Diabetes and Heart program. Under this program, patients with diabetes can be given free medication.
The CHO offers both oral medicines and insulin shots to diabetic patients. The CHO also teaches diabetic patients the proper foot and wound care.
The CHO’s nutritionists also give Medical Nutrition Therapy and recommendations regarding a patient’s daily calorie requirement and healthier food substitutes.
The CHO also offers assistance to amputee patients through its partnership with the Davao Jubilee Foundation.
Through this public-private partnership, amputees are given the chance to walk again with the help of prosthetics.
Diabetes is a chronic disease to which there is currently no cure. Symptoms are undetectable at its early stages. Advanced stages of diabetes include symptoms like polyuria (excessive urine production), dry mouth, extreme fatigue, numbness due to nerve damage, sudden weight loss, blurring of vision, kidney damage, poor wound healing, and even heart attack.
