Time to Act Organization of diabetes services 

Dr.Almoutaz Alkhier Ahmed
Saudi Arabia/ Gurayat north
Gurayat General Hospital / Diabetic Center
P.O.Box 672
tel:00966508907285
e.mail:khier2@yahoo.com

It is the time to act now more than to know more.

As we noticed that Diabetes prevalence is raising every where. The diabetic complications start to be a real health problem. According to the IDF figures, approximately there are around 246 millions diabetic patients over the world now and this figure expected to increase to reach about 330 millions in 2025 .Let us calculated simply and think about those 246 millions diabetics, and let us try to answer this question : how much of them will develop complications? I am sure the answer will threaten us so much. As much as we will have new diabetics we will have also patients with bad conditions need higher level of health care and more consumption from the health budget.

I think it is s the exact time to act.

What type of action we need?

It is the time to know how to organize the services related to diabetes care.

We need to know how to organize the work, how to benefit from the little resources available in some poor areas.

Still some areas do not know how to establish a network for diabetes care. The services do not need physicians all the time. Trained health providers can do the job well. Simple effective referral system can help so much. Know how to involve the community in the diabetes care is an essential matter.

Construction of diabetes units and centers could be done easily as long as we know how to do it. Partially paid service can help to maintain the service.

Qualified and trained mobile teams can help to establish the services in new areas.

I think the IDF can organize with the diabetes associations a program for exchange between countries. A multiple world wide campaigns can be organized and the door for trained junior medical staffs can be open to participate in these campaigns.

still I am remembering that there is a program for international student exchange between universities, why not to establish such program between the diabetic associations world wide.

What is more ,I suggest a regional congress for each region of the IDF ended by the world diabetes congress. I know it is done in some regions but what about the regions where the prevalence of diabetes is growing day after day and nothings done?.

Again, their should be reviewing and auditing system for the diabetes associations not active in its region. Arrangement with the WHO should be started to follow those who keep silent and wait for the disaster. Really the diabetes storm will not differentiate between north or south ,east or west. All will be affected either directly or indirectly.

Organization of the service will make the work easy and from little resources we can do effective works.

Let me suggest that the theme of the coming year(2008) for the world diabetes day to be "Towards Better Organization for Diabetes Care Services"

Please…….
Do not think about your self if you follow standards in your organizations for the services and your resources help you to achieve that but think about those who do not know what are the standards and what to do to reach the maximum level of care based on their resources.
Let us all think how to help them.

If you agree with me ,please do not hesitate to contact your regional IDF office or your regional WHO office to suggest this and support my suggestion.

I think the words written by Prof.Martin Silink – president of IDF go hand by hand with what I am looking for. But I am expecting more and hope the coming diabetes day will cover this area "organization of diabetes services".