By Cathy Buffonge
Montserrat’s Chief Medical Officer- Dr Mike Owen
These days we are hearing a lot about chronic diseases, and one of these is diabetes, which is a serious problem in the Caribbean. Our islands’ health services are being stretched to the limit by the size of this problem, but non-governmental agencies and the patients themselves also have a part to play. The involvement of patients and their families is vital, and Montserrat’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mike Owen, addressing diabetics, emphasizes that ‘The only person who can control your diabetes, is you.’
He was speaking at the launch of the second Diabetes Self Management Course being mounted by the Montserrat Diabetes Association. This is being done in collaboration with Montserrat’s Social Security Fund, which has provided the funding for both courses.
The Fund’s director, Mr Kenneth Scotland explains that the cost of social security claims for diabetes has increased over the last couple of years, so it’s in the Fund’s interest to support this project in order to reduce this cost and help to ensure a happy and productive life for diabetics.
Fund’s director - Mr Kenneth Scotland
Accepting the very generous donation from Mr Scotland, Mrs Valerie Lewis Lynch, president of the Diabetes Association, thanked Mr Scotland for the funding, which will cover among other things the purchase of blood sugar testing kits, test strips and lancets for the participants of the course, and pedometers to help them measure their walking exercise.
Mrs Valerie Lewis Lynch - President of the Diabetes Association
Mrs. Lynch, who is a past principal nursing officer and nursing tutor, has been instrumental in the coordination of both courses, which were the brainchild of Nutrition Officer Maunelva Taylor, also a member of the Association. Mrs Lynch explains that the aims of the course are to improve knowledge and coping skills, to strengthen daily self management skills, to use a team approach in diabetes management and education, and to improve the nutritional health and quality of life of participants.
The course consists of weekly sessions over a four month period, and is free of charge, covering many aspects of diabetes. These include understanding what diabetes is, laboratory tests and what they mean, diagnosis, self testing / monitoring, meal planning, exercise, and medication. Other topics include eye care, foot care, stress management, high and low blood sugar, managing sick days, and the importance of controlling the blood sugar in order to prevent complications. Sessions are conducted by various members of the health staff past and present, several of whom are also members of the Diabetes Association.
Basic health checks like weight and laboratory tests are carried out at the beginning and end of the course, in order to compare and see if there has been any improvement. Weight and height are used to obtain the body mass index (BMI) which provides an accurate assessment of whether the person’s weight is within normal limits or whether they are overweight, obese or even underweight. Weight control is vital in the control of diabetes.
The Montserrat Diabetes Association has a track record of outstanding activities, such as their weekly radio programme ‘Keeping Well with Diabetes’ which has been running for several years. They also have monthly educational meetings as well as setting up a support group, and they carry out blood sugar monitoring for the public at events like the national Health and Wellness Fair, Diabetes Week, and on other special occasions. The diabetes self management course is yet another achievement for which the Association deserves congratulations.
