The complication of diabetes foot among diabetes patients has been reduced by over 80%, over the years, in the United States of America, thanks to a rapid development of podiatry medicine and aggressive education of both diabetes care givers and the patients.
One of the trainers from the US currently conducting the 2nd Lagos Podiatry and Diabetes Foot Care Workshop, Dr. Rahn Ravenell disclosed this to NHO, saying Nigerians need not die from diabetes and its large number of complications, especially diabetes foot if similar measures are adopted. He advised Nigerian doctors managing diabetes patients to always check their patient’s feet for early detection of complications.
The Project Coordinator, Diabetes Podiatry Iniative Nigeria, Dr, Afokoghene Isiavwe, also revealed to NHO that diabetes foot constitutes the second leading cause of diabetes-related deaths in Nigeria, accounting 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.
“This is why the Podiatric workshop is being organized by the Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre in partnership with the training faculty members of the Podiatry Institute, Decatur, Georgis, USA and the World Diabetes Foundation to address the podiatry service needs in Nigeria and in particular, the problem of diabetes foot disease and diabetes-related amputations in the country,” she further said
How America reduced diabetes foot complication – Podiatric trainer
L-R: Workshop trainers: Dr Rahn Ravenell , Dr. William Harris, Dr. James Kinchsular and Chairman, Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Dr. David Isiavwe at the workshop