by Emmanuel H. Joseph,
Government Information Service
 Section of the participants at the workshop
The Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health, last week coordinated the training of over forty-five (45) Diabetics and caregivers from the Portsmouth Health District in the Management of Diabetic Foot.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Health, the training components included theoretical sessions on foot care, signs of foot problems and basic information on the disease and practical foot care demonstration. This was facilitated by Family Nurse Practitioner, Rebecca Eusebe.
Ministry of Health Nutritionist, Marynese Titre also facilitated the theoretical and practical demonstration session on the importance of a balance diet and the required serving sizes.
Coordinator of the Health Promotion Unit, Helen Royer, at the opening of the training session, said that this was the 5th level of training targeting diabetics and caregivers aimed at empowering them to better care for themselves to avoid diabetic foot complications.
 Coordinator of the Health
Promotion Unit,
Helen Royer
The training workshop for diabetics is expected to expand to all the seven health districts and last week’s programme was the first in the series of training workshops on the Management of Diabetic Foot for people living with diabetes.
An evaluation of the program indicated that workshop was very relevant to the diabetics and they had good impressions of the training.
The training is part of an on-going programme of the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which main goal is to reduce the risk of amputation and improve the quality of life for Diabetics.
The Health Promotion Coordinator said the need for such a programme is due to the high incidence of diabetes, the risks of amputations, the economic cost for families and the implications for the health services. She also said that although Diabetes is incurable, it can be controlled and self-management is one of the key strategies in prevention of complications
The programme which commenced in June, 2011 is comprised of several components, including the training of caregivers, pedicurists, health care professionals, allied health care providers and diabetics in Dominica.
 Demonstration in progress
The Ministry of Health hopes that the programme will help in the improvement, the quality of life for Diabetics and a reduction in amputation in Dominica. |
