… as hospital holds Podiatry training workshop

 

It has been estimated that a lower limb is amputated globally every 20 seconds due to complications of diabetes. This was disclosed recently by an endocrinologist Dr. Afoke Isiavwe at a press conference to herald the 5-day podiatric workshop coming up from 17th August to 21st August 2015 in Lagos.

 

Dr. Isiavwe, Coordinator of the Diabetes Podiatry Initiative and Medical Director Rainbow Specialist Hospital, explained that early presentation and Compliance to treatment are key to successful treatment of diabetes foot problem.

 

According to her, diabetes mellitus foot is the second leading cause of diabetes-related deaths in Nigeria and account for 19.5 to 24 percent of all diabetes mortality.

 

 

Unfortunately, she said, lack of policy on foot care and the dearth of specialists have prevented the country from adopting necessary measure to curb the growing incidence of diabetes foot and also manage the problem effectively.

 

To help bridge this gap and raise awareness on the condition, Dr. Isiavwe disclosed that Rainbow Specialist Clinic has established the Podiatry Initiative Nigeria which will be training Nigerian medical doctors on prevention and management of diabetes foot complications and raising awareness of proper foot care for patients in Lagos.

 

“The aim is to build local capacity on diabetes foot care through regular workshops and seminars. The next annual 5-day workshop comes up from 17th August to 21st August. 2015, and the theme is ‘Building Local Capacity in Diabetes Foot Care’. Diabetes Podiatry Initiative Nigeria is a project Supported by Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, World Diabetes Foundation and Podiatry Institute USA”, she said.

 

It would be recalled that the first podiatry and diabetes foot care workshop was held last year in Lagos. The conference which was organized by the centre in partnership with the training faculty members of the Podiatry Institute, Decatur, Georgia, USA, addressed the podiatry service needs in Nigeria and in particular the problem of diabetes foot disease and diabetes-related amputations in the country.

 

By: FRANKA OSAKWE

National Mirror