The original article can be found in: Barbados Advocate By Ryan Gilkes
Barbados is seeing close to 200 amputations per year and this is a source of concern for Chairman of the Barbados Diabetes Foundation, Dr. Oscar Jordan.
Speaking at the end of the Esso Help Us Help Walk 2013, he noted that this had resulted in Barbados attaining the unenviable title of “Amputation Capital”.
“This walk that we have taken part in is extremely significant because it expresses the relationship between private sector citizenship and the general public. Esso’s co-operation in this venture is critical. It shows the Barbadian public in general the importance of exercise. It is a vital part of our lifestyle. We are afflicted by a number of lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes,” he noted.
According to him, it is for this reason that the assistance being rendered by Esso through it Help Us Help Initiative, in terms of providing funding to equip the new Diabetes Centre in Warrens, is vital.
“This building is envisaged to be a specialist treatment and education facility. The best way to treat diabetes is to prevent it. What we have done today is literally take the first step. This facility is what I like to call a ‘one stop shop for prevention and treatment’ of Diabetes in Barbados. That means when you are referred here, you will benefit from good nursing education, good nutrition education; you have attention paid to your case. For us here in Barbados and at the Foundation, this will be a new landmark in diabetes management on the island,” he explained.
“Our resolve is to reduce all those end stage complications which affect people with diabetes and in turn affect families. We’ve been having 200 amputation per year for the last 30 years. We pledge that within five years we are going to reduce that figure by 40 per cent and, hopefully as we go on, we will reduce it further and further. There is really no need to have all those amputations,” Jordan added.
