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By Badea Abu Al-Naja
DIABETES, a chronic disease characterized by an elevated level of blood glucose, is a growing health problem across the nations with major impact on all socio-economic classes. Saudi Arabia has one of the highest levels of diabetes prevalence globally.
The number of Saudis who suffer from diabetes has reached 3.8 million in 2015, according to Murad Al-Murad, chief of the scientific department at the genetic and chronic diseases control division in the Ministry of Health.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of people who died due to diabetes last year was 23,420 while the annual cost for treating one diabetic patient is $1,145 (about SR4,300).
The treatment of diabetes is a complex process and requires both lifestyle changes and a clear treatment plan. Extensive education on self-management and lifestyle changes is one of the key approaches to alleviate the complications from the condition, but the process is lengthy and expensive.
To bridge the gap, philanthropic societies in various parts of the country have come up with ideas of pop-up mobile clinics that visit neighborhoods offering treatment along with counseling. The project seeks to help patients prevent complications from the condition and thus reduce the cost of medical care.
One such project started operating in Makkah about two months ago under the aegis of Al-Shifa Welfare Society. The non-profit organization wants the people of the holy city and its suburbs to have every possible chance of minimizing their risk of developing complications from diabetes and to ensure that those affected by the condition have timely access to high quality medical services, said Dr. Osama Ismael, medical director of the society.
He described the center as the first of its kind in the world in view of the comprehensive services it offers to patients in the city and its suburbs.
The clinic was custom-made at a Dubai-based factory specialized in preparing medical caravans and ambulances. A cardiac consultant from Al-Shifa closely supervised the entire manufacturing process to ensure that the mobile center is well equipped to serve its goals.
Dr. Ismael said the idea of the mobile center was first mooted by Dr. Khaled Al-Tayib, chairman of the society’s board of directors, who is also the head of the diabetes and endocrinology center at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital in Makkah.
He said the roving center has four main clinics. In addition to a clinic for general examination of patients, the center has a foot clinic, an ophthalmology clinic and a dentistry.
In the general clinic, the patients are thoroughly tested for diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems and several other diseases before they are given the required remedies.
In the diabetic foot clinic diabetes patients suffering from foot injuries are checked and treated.
In the ophthalmic clinic, diabetic patients are given vision tests, in addition to examining them for cataracts and retina problems.
The dentistry clinic is well-equipped to provide all kinds of dentistry services, including diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity.
Ismael said the mobile clinic also contains a laboratory, which can conduct blood tests for sugar levels and issue reports of results in just five minutes.
The laboratory also has facilities to diagnose the condition of kidney, liver and other vital organs of patients, he said.
Ismael said in addition to the medical treatment and checkups, the mobile clinic extends social services through a special office to follow up the condition of the patients who come to the center for treatment.
He said the center started working about two months ago and is serving patients in Makkah and its suburbs.
“The center has so far visited 10 villages and treated about 400 diabetic men and women,” he added.
Ismael said the center is expected to serve more than 4,000 patients next year.
He said the center’s medical team consists of a woman specialist in the treatment of the diabetic foot, an internist, a social worker, a lab technician, an optician and a dentist, in addition to nurses and administrators.
