The National Diabetes Center at Hamad General Hospital was opened in 2013 and receives 2,000 patients each month. The National Diabetes Center at Al Wakra Hospital opened a year later and cares for around 400 patients each month while the Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinic at Women’s Hospital receives around 600 patients per month, according to a press statement.
In recognition of World Diabetes Day, held annually on November 14, HMC has planned a full month of activities to highlight the importance of diabetes awareness, education, and research.
“These facilities serve as one-stop shops in which patients can speak with specialist doctors, renew prescriptions and learn self-care skills related to blood glucose monitoring, healthy eating and physical activity,” said Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, chairman of Internal Medicine at HMC and director of the Qatar Metabolic Institute.
He went on to say that HMC looks beyond the care provided in the hospital setting and is working to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as a strategy for disease prevention.
“Diabetes is a complex disease which can lead to debilitating long-term complications. Education is an essential element of the diabetes care plan at HMC. Education empowers not only patients but also members of the public to make the behavioural changes needed to protect their health,” explained Prof Abou-Samra.
“We work with patients with diabetes to help them understand the importance of controlling their blood glucose levels; and we work with patients who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, or who are at risk for diabetes, to help them understand the significance of making the lifestyle and behavioral changes needed to reduce their chance of developing the condition,” added Prof Abou-Samra.
Pre-diabetes happens when one’s blood glucose level is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. It is effectively a warning sign and an indication that an individual could develop Type 2 diabetes. Research studies have found that moderate weight loss and exercise can prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes among those at high risk of developing the disease.
Last month HMC officially inaugurated its National Obesity Treatment Center. The new center co-locates clinics previously situated at other facilities in one location, providing a unique multi-disciplinary service that integrates patient care. Located in Building 311 in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, the centre is delivering holistic, multi-disciplinary care for patients in need of medical management, lifestyle modifications, bariatric and endoscopic procedures.
Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra
Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) diabetes clinics receive more than 3,000 patients each month, the corporation revealed.
