Diabetes screening costs N200 in government health facilities — Medical Officer
NAN-HG-4
Diabetes
By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Nov. 14, 2017 (NAN) The Medical Officer of Health in the Lagos Mainland Local Government, Dr Osinachi Ubani, on Tuesday urged members of the public to regularly check their blood sugar levels, saying that the check costs only N200 in government facilities.
Ubani spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on the occasion of the 2017 World Diabetes Day with theme as: “Women and Diabetes- Our Right to a Healthy Future’’.
According to her, checking of blood sugar level is a screening to diagnose diabetes, a disease which, if not detected early, can result to lifelong illnesses.
The World Diabetes Day is marked annually on November 14 and it aims to serve as a platform to create awareness and promote advocacy efforts on diabetes.
It also aims to be an avenue to drive the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to tackle diabetes as a critical global health issue.
Ubani said, “Diabetes can cause serious health complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower-extremity amputations; it is also one of the leading causes of death in our society today.
“Many people do not know they have diabetes.
“To avoid this disease, we enjoin everyone to please make sure they have constant checks of their blood sugar level, to avert the crisis and expenses that may arise from the complications of diabetes.
“Diabetes screening centres are all over the place now; people can have access to them and get themselves checked, they can visit government hospitals or private centres.
“ Screening for diabetes at government hospital is at the most affordable and we want people to be aware of this; it costs only N200 at the government and Primary Health Centres (PHCs).’’
She said the price could be a bit higher in private hospitals but that most NGOs also offered free screening for diabetes.
“The price is standard in most of the state PHCs but it may be more expensive in private hospitals.
“Some NGOs are now offering free diabetes screening for the populace, to commemorate the World Diabetes Day.
“We are also enjoying same at the Mainland Local Government with a company, Bio Pharm. Pharmaceutical Company.
“The company has a target of providing free diabetes screening to about 10,000 people in the state and we are having ours at the Oyingbo market,’’ she said.
The medical officer of health described diabetes as a disease which occurs when blood glucose, also called blood sugar, was too high.
According to her, blood glucose is the body’s main source of energy.
On the effects of having diabetes that is not properly managed, she said, “Diabetes can be fatal because it is classified as a chronic disease.
“It is a situation whereby the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin or is making insufficient insulin.
“Insulin is a hormone from pancreas; it takes glucose which has been converted from the food we eat and passes it through the blood stream, into the cells of the body to produce energy.
“Insulin helps glucose to get into our cells; however, diabetes can bring down all the systems or functions in the body and this may lead to total paralysis.
“So, prevention of diabetes is better, preferable and precautionary; there must be constant checks because having diabetes can be debilitating if it progresses into developing other lifelong diseases,’’ she said.
“Diabetes can cause serious health complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower-extremity amputations.
“Over time, diabetes may lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, dental disease, nerve damage and others.
“It is one of the leading causes of death in our society today.
“To avoid this disease, we enjoin everyone to please make sure that they have constant checks of their blood level, to avert the crisis and expenses that may arise from the complications of diabetes.
“Diabetes screening centres are all over the place now; people can have access to them and get themselves checked, they can visit government hospitals or private centres,’’ she said.
Ubani said symptoms of diabetes were easily noticeable and cautioned that people should take it serious whenever they noticed any of the symptoms in their body.
“Diabetes is easily predicted and has a clear set of symptoms which may be undiagnosed.
“The leading symptoms are increased thirst, increased need to urinate and increased hunger.
“Diabetes screening such as fasting blood sugar or random blood sugar can help to simply determine the status of anyone because there is a particular sugar level required in the body,’’ Ubani said. (NAN)
KOJE/VIV/PIO
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(Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Idonije Obakhedo)