Sanofi has introduced its diabetes training program for health care professionals on how to guide and manage their diabetic patients during Ramadan.

Dr. Khaled Al-Tayyeb, consultant endocrinologist, Nour Hospital, Makkah and president of the Chronic Disease Patients Care Association (Shifa), said: “The core objective of Sanofi’s training program is to support diabetic patients through their treating physicians’ education on how to successfully defy the possible complications of diabetes during the holy month.”

He added: “The blood glucose increase while fasting is considered as one of the main health risks faced by diabetic patients. Sanofi’s program seeks to educate the physicians on the ideal ways that can help diabetics to achieve a quality of life and live with diabetes during Ramadan. Physicians and nurses will unify their efforts to provide diabetics with the needful information and advisory in this respect.”

Sanofi Saudi Arabia GM Dr. Salah Mousa, stated: “Sanofi, in full collaboration with medical and scientific societies, has played a great role to improve access to better diabetes care through various awareness initiatives. Sanofi is keen to deliver integrated quality care as it is crucial to work with health care professionals to further educate patients on diabetes management and control.”

Dr. Abdulraof Almahfouz, consultant endocrinologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, said: “Although a good percentage of our patients can safely fast during Ramadan, namely those who are diet managed or on medication that do not pose significant risk of hypoglycemia and who are otherwise well controlled, others are at moderate to high risk of complications such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis dehydration and thrombosis. It is therefore imperative that such patients consult their physicians on how best to manage their condition during Ramadan.”

The Modern Medicine Middle East’s May edition features Ramadan guidelines on diabetes.