NAHDI Medical Company, a pioneer in the healthcare sector, has drawn the attention of the regional pharmacy sector to the huge possibilities of community focused awareness campaigns in controlling the growing threat of obesity induced diabetes in the region.

Addressing a session on the topic ‘Going above and beyond Managing Diabesity’, at the 5th Annual GCC Pharmacy Congress in Dubai, Sarah Turkistani, the Head of Health & Community Service Department at Nahdi Medical Company, said prudent empowerment measures leading to sustainable outcomes are critical to creating healthier communities of the future.

“Nahdi has been at the forefront of ongoing efforts in Saudi Arabia to empower people to live healthier lives through pivotal changes in their lifestyle choices. Achieving a substantial shift in patient knowledge and prevention of chronic disease, specifically diabetes, is fundamental to our dream of a healthy society that is fully equipped to make wise lifestyle decisions,” Turkistani stated.

Turkistani pointed out that in order to help contain the alarming increase in obesity linked diabetes in the Kingdom, Nahdi has created 50 ( health resource centre clinics & Diabetes Education Clinics) , offering free services in 22 cities in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Joslin Diabetes Center. The programme has led to improved clinical indicators such as a 1.2% reduction in A1C test results which equals to 20-40 reduction in diabetes complication like amputation and kidney problems, and helped build trust in pharmacy expertise.

Turkistani said that as part its ‘Beats of Hope’ Corporate Social Sustainability Strategy, Nahdi Medical Services is aiming to enhance the lives of 5 million people in Saudi Arabia by 2020 through effective health and wellness education and empowerment programs.

In another major step towards containing obesity risks in the Kingdom, Nahdi has also launched a weight management program, ‘Wazen Hayatak’, that encourages the community to incorporate small changes in their lifestyles to achieve better health and improved quality of life. The program has so far attracted more than 20,000 participants in the 50 clinics, helping people collectively shed more than 9,000 kg in body weight, PLUS ITS For FREE Turkistani explained.

As part of the GCC Pharmacy Congress, Turkistani also moderated a panel discussion, participated by leading pharmacy industry experts from the region, which discussed the challenges and opportunities in leading pharmacy chains. Calling for a customer centric approach in the industry, the experts shared experiences that showed that loyal customers with positive experiences play a crucial role in growing business significantly faster than sales and marketing efforts.

The discussions also highlighted the need for quality patient data, considering current trends that require pharmacists to take more active roles in patient care. Industry experts were, however, optimistic that with a range of systems and technologies available today it has become possible to enhance efficiencies in pharmacy supply chain and operations to yield more benefits to customers. — SG