Kiruddu hospital overwhelmed by diabetic patients

Mulago National Referral hospital Kiruddu has raised concern over the overwhelming number of diabetic patients that visit the hospital on each clinic day.

The hospital receives national patients from around the country, and foreigners from countries like South Sudan, Rwanda, and Western Kenya among others.

The hospital Clinical Services Committee Chairman Dr John Nuwagaba told New Vision that during lockdown, the diabetes clinic would receive about 50 patients each week.

"After easing the lockdown, our Wednesday diabetes' clinic receives between 200 - 300 patients of whom about 30 are always new patients," he said.

Nuwagaba said diabetes patients have to test for their glucose levels at least five times a day, but due to limited resources, their patients test once a week when they visit the clinic.

"The test kits we receive from the government would be enough to also spare some to park for patients for individual screening, but we share them with those on other wards.

We do not only test glucose of diabetes patients but also that of other patients to establish their status" he said.

Nuwagaba explained that diabetes is a critical disease that damages almost all the patient's organs, including the heart, liver, kidneys, eyesight, and teeth, among others.

"A patient needs to test and monitor their glucose levels. The faster the glucose is controlled, the faster we notice complications and find solutions," he added.

Nuwagaba said glucometer testing machines and stripes are too expensive for most of their patients to afford, limiting the times they test their glucose.

"A glucometer machine costs sh50,000 and a stripe is sh1000. A person would need at least sh50000 to get 50 testing stripes every month," he said.

Increase in cases

In a recent interview with the General Manager National Medical Stores Moses Kamabare, he said as a result of the lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic, diabetes cases are on a rise countrywide.

He added that many of the patients who used to work and afford their treatment cannot do so anymore, putting a strain on free medicines in government facilities.

"Some of the patients have lost jobs and those who are employed no longer get enough money, leaving them in critical need of glucose testing kits and drugs," Kamabare said.

The percentage of diabetes patients currently stands at 1.4% of the adult population. Health experts blame the diabetes cases on people's lifestyles.

"People who over sit, eat poorly and do not do physical exercises often become diabetic. As a result, they at times get amputated, experience organs failure among other effects," he added.

Experts say 19 million people in Africa have diabetes, however 60% of the numbers don't know that they have the disease.

Partners step in

To help patients increase their glucose monitoring, Ecobank has donated 20 glucometers and 2000 stripes worth sh5m to Kiruddu hospital.

These were handed over to Dr Nuwagaba by Israel Opi. Opi, the bank Risk Manager, said the aim of the donation is to increase individual diabetes screening.

"We are donating to Kiruddu hospital because it serves low-income people who can't afford the equipment to test their glucose levels as recommended," he said.

He called on civil society organisations and cooperate bodies to lend the government a hand in fighting diabetes as they sensitise the public on healthy living.

Uganda is to join the rest of the world to celebrate the world diabetes day which is observed annually on November 14.