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The National Diabetes Centre under Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) plans to make use of sermons delivered at mosques to spread awareness about diabetes and other lifestyle diseases, said Professor Abdul Badi Abou Samra, chairman, Department of Medicine and senior consultant Endocrinology and Diabetes, HMC yesterday. |
The diabetes centre organised a special screening for diabetes during the holy month of Ramadan at the Abdul Wahaab Mosque. Around 2,200 people were screened for diabetes at the mosque after Friday prayers as well as Taraweeh (night prayers during the month of Ramadan).
“We expect about 15-20% of the screened people to test positive for diabetes according to the initial assessment,” said Professor Samra. “Out of them one-third are newly discovered diabetic patients.”
He said:”People screened after Friday prayers, have been fasting about 10 hours while people tested after Taraweeh had a gap of 3-4 hours after their last meal. This can be done only in Ramadan as they are fasting all through the day and we can get the right data.”
The official commented that around 20 HMC staff members were stationed outside the mosque and they screened the people coming after prayers.
“We screened both men and women who attended the prayers and we had a team consisting of male and female staff for the occasion. This initiative was first of its kind in Qatar and was done for two days,” he added.
The professor said that HMC will consult with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Studies and the Ministry of Education to involve the students and Imams for a major campaign.
He said: “We will provide inputs to the Imams of the mosques so that they can advise the people about lifestyle diseases during their sermons in the mosque. Similarly the students also will spread the message of healthy living.”
“This will help the people understand better about the lifestyle diseases and overcome many of them. We are planning for community engagement and the whole purpose is to engage different sources to educate the public on the issue,” said Manal Musallem, special educator, Diabetes Centre, HMC.
Musallem also said that the experiment of screening at the mosque will be made a countrywide initiative during the next Ramadan.
“We will cover as many mosques as possible during next Ramadan. The major diabetes campaigns in the country include World Diabetes Day, diabetes campaigns during Ramadan and for Haj as well as the campaign in connection with the National Sport Day. Through these campaigns we intend to engage the community for better understanding of lifestyle diseases and adopt measures to overcome them,” she added.
