'Diabetics deserve monthly food rations'

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Friday November 19, 2010 00:00

Sufferer Timothy Seabelo, who gave a testimony about the disease during the World Diabetes Day commemoration, said to ensure healthy living people who suffer from sugar diabetes are recommended special foods that may not always be affordable.

He also urged government to consider implementing a special dispensation for those who suffer from the disease at the health facilities. They should be assisted before others because they go for check-ups on empty stomachs. 'We should not be allowed to queue even at the dispensary because of the nature of our disease and authorities must ensure we are assisted and done with by 10am,' he said.

He pleaded with fellow sufferers to form clusters in their wards so they can approach and convince government with a consolidated voice. He said since they set up a cluster in 2008 its membership has remained at five yet many people in the village suffer from the disease.

Seabelo encouraged victims to follow health workers' instructions to minimise the consequences of the disease and urged non-suffers to go for annual check- ups and familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms for early detection of the disease. He indicated that he was diagnosed with the disease in 2008 after experiencing persistent tiredness, loss of weight, frequent urination as well as drinking a lot of water especially at night.

He said he was then rushed to hospital where he was treated and discharged and put on treatment the following week. He said though the daily medication is important the type of food that one eats is crucial. 'Emphasize more on traditional foods like mabele and unprocessed food like brown bread. Eat a heavy breakfast and take fruits in between the meals,' he said adding that way there will be no incidences of collapsing by patients.

Chief Medical Officer from Gweta Government Hospital Dr Saasa said sugar diabetes 'is with us and stays with us'. He indicated that though it is incurable it is preventable and said abandoning of traditional food and lifestyle and substituting it with the modern lifestyle of processed foodstuffs and less exercise exacerbates the disease. He said the disease could lead to impotence in men, hypertension, sores under feet, too much sugar in the blood and urine and also affect kidneys. He stressed the need to form clusters in each ward that can teach people about the disease.

Sekgoma Memorial Hospital Superintendent Dr Sinvula indicated that they intend to support each ward with a health worker to help patients and make health facilities highly accessible to the people. He believes this would also strengthen education levels among those affected by the disease and those at risk. He explained that sufferers die because of the complications associated with the disease; therefore it is important for people to learn and acquaint themselves with those complications for early diagnosis.