Health Practitioners schooled on management and support on diabetes in children

More than 70 health practitioners have received training on Paediatrics and Adolescent Diabetes to improve their competencies in managing persons living with diabetes, particularly children. The participants made up of Doctors, Nurses, Laboratory Technicians, Nutritionist among others were drawn from Hospitals, Clinics, Polyclinics, Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds across the 16 regions in the country that give care to diabetics, particularly Paedics. The workshop was organised by the Ghana National Diabetes Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the International Diabetes Federation and Life for Child Programme. The participants were schooled by facilitators from all over the world led by Dr Elizabeth Esi Dawyo, Chairperson of International Diabetes Association, Africa Region, and the founder of Diabetes Association in Ghana. Among the topics treated were, 'diabetes in children,' 'different insulin and what they offer,' as well as practical work on the pro per usage of insulin and other drugs. Dr Dawyo, in an interview with the media stated that the essence of the workshop was to train the participants to execute their duties fairly and perfectly for children living with diabetes to live without any complications. According to her per their research, diabetes was on the rise in the country, and it was time more awareness was created to alert people in the society about it. Hence, the various health professionals to learn how to handle children with such illness to get ultimate care. Dr Ewurabena Menu, a Paediatrician at Korle-Bu Hospital who was a facilitator, pointed out that the disease, mostly a lifestyle disease could affect children if proper care were not taken. She appealed to parents to stop beating their children when they urinate on themselves in the night and not delay in sending their children to the hospital when they were unwell for quick diagnosis and treatment. Mr Bright Ayikutu, President of Ghana National Diabetes Association said the or ganisation was poised to ensure that diabetic patients, particularly children in their respective communities got support and the required treatment. He stated that the new knowledge and skills acquired would help health practitioners to manage persons with the disease well and support them psychologically adding that the disease was not a death sentence. Source: Ghana News Agency