AFTER SEEING 24 000 diabetes-related visits in just two years, polyclinics across the island have received some much needed assistance in their battle against the chronic disease.
This is thanks to the Maria Holder Memorial Trust, which yesterday donated 11 vascular Doppler machines to the Ministry of Health at the Maurice Byer Polyclinic in St Peter.
Minister of Health John Boyce said the Doppler machines, which measures a patient’s blood flow by ultrasound, would go a long way in treating diabetics at polyclinics.
“Our records indicate that for the period 2010 to 2012 at all of our polyclinics, there were over 40 000 visits for hypertension and 24 000 visits for diabetes,” he said.
Boyce added that between 2010 and 2012, 80 per cent of the non-maternal and non-child-related polyclinic visits were related to chronic diseases. Most were for patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes and lipid disorders.
Chief executive officer of the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre, Cally Boyea, said the donation was in an effort to reduce the number of amputations by better and earlier referrals and management.
He said Barbados had over 200 amputations per year. (AD)