On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, has shared the details of the leading services and state-of-the-art facilities for the public with diabetes. These services are in line with the highest international standards.

With a vast network, SEHA has been providing constant support to its patients, including children and adults, who have diabetes. Furthermore, the network has helped people through comprehensive treatment plans, allowing them to lead healthy and stable lives.

Among many services, the Ambulatory Healthcare Services conducts periodic preventive examinations for its patients in line with the standards and practices issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health. These services are offered through AHS' "Our Medical Home" program in which the family doctor follows up the periodic examinations of the patients.

An integrated system of performance indicators has been designed by Ambulatory Healthcare Services, including percentages of periodic examinations as well as percentages of patients controlling their chronic diseases.

The agency also provides modern and advanced technologies for the treatment of diabetic patients. Some of the technologies include the Sudoscan examination which shows neuropathic abnormalities and complications without any pain within 3 minutes.

In addition, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City’s (SKMC) Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology is offering the latest treatment methods to treat all types of diabetes-related diseases and their complications. The SKMC provides various services such as footcare for diabetics, insulin treatments, and blood pressure monitoring, along with preventive treatments to minimise the risk of complications. The Centre has facilities to provide educational support about diabetes to people as well as ways to maintain a relatively normal lifestyle with diabetes.

With the latest diagnostic technologies and devices, Tawam Hospital's Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic helps in treating diabetes in adults, children and pregnant women.

As part of their antenatal care, Corniche Hospital provides regular checks for gestational diabetes among pregnant women. The hospital is constantly monitoring illnesses through its multidisciplinary medical team of experts which include obstetricians, gestational diabetes specialists, and fetal medicine specialists.

Speaking about the initiatives, Dr. Soha Saeed, Consultant and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Corniche Hospital, stated that the hospital uses the latest blood glucose meters to measure and record blood glucose levels among pregnant women while they are at their homes.

"Based on the readings, a tailored management plan is developed to control the mother’s blood sugar, and to monitor the pregnancy on an ongoing basis, ensuring a healthy fetus and pregnancy," Dr Saeed.

Al Dhafra Hospitals ensure the provision of comprehensive healthcare to diabetic patients through latest technologies. The hospitals develop a treatment plan in accordance with the highest international standards. These plans include various medical services based on the patient’s condition to ensure the stability of their condition and prevent any complications.

Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Rahman Al-Hussein, an internal medicine specialist at Madinat Zayed Hospital, affiliate of Al Dhafra Hospitals, urged patients will diabetes to pay special attention to their health condition, especially the feet, noting that diabetic foot syndrome (DFD) is one of the most common complications that diabetic patients suffer from.

"DFD can often develop from a simple inconvenience to complicated debilitations," Dr Al-Hussein said.

The specialist explained that there are three main factors that affect the feet of diabetic patients.

"The first of which is the lack of blood circulation in the main arteries of the feet; the second factor is diabetic neuropathy as a result of the peripheral nervous system being affected; and the third factor is that infections that occur as a result of all the previous factors," the doctor said.

World Diabetes Day is marked on November 14 to raise awareness about diabetes as a global public health issue. Awareness is created about what needs to be done at an individual and global level to enhance prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition.

WAM