ALKHOBAR, 28 January 2004 — Diabetes is a growing problem in Saudi Arabia, especially among women. Saudi Aramco, as part of its Community Outreach Program, is making medical specialists available to bring diabetes education directly to those most affected by this chronic condition. With the coordination of the Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization (SAMSO) dieticians, nurses and other medical personnel are setting up mini clinics at locations within the community to offer their aid and advice in settings convenient to the local population.
Recently, the Gulf Women’s Association (GWA) hosted a diabetes seminar and health clinic at their Alkhobar facility to benefit the disadvantaged women they serve. According to Aisha Bazerra, secretary, GWA Medical Committee, both GWA and Saudi Aramco worked together to ensure the success of the seminar.
“Saudi Aramco, through its Community Outreach Program, was offering a service of excellent value to these underprivileged women, but in the past we found that more was required to attract them to such an event,” Bazerra explained.
“This is why we let it be known that if the women would come and listen to the presentation on diabetes and perhaps have their blood pressure and blood sugar levels checked too, that we would give them a gift package that included a chicken, laundry soap, shampoo and other kitchen staples. This extra incentive was enough to encourage nearly 150 ladies to come out for the seminar.”
A group of nurses and technicians from SAMSO conducted the health checks at the back of the room while Ghada Al-Habib, SAMSO clinical dietician, gave her presentation on “Managing and Controlling Diabetes,” and then answered any questions the women had on any dietary issues.
“Diabetes has become a huge health problem in Saudi Arabia and uncontrolled blood sugar is now a concern in early adulthood. An inordinate amount of our health resources are devoted to managing the serious complications of this illness,” said Al-Habib.
“Simply diagnosing the condition is not enough. Most people who have diabetes do not control their blood sugar properly. This leads to life threatening complications. Underprivileged women tend to have frequent pregnancies. This factor coupled with poor diets and little exercise puts them at high risk for the illness.”
“Look around this room,” Al-Habib continued. “You will notice that most of these women are obese. Just from a casual glance it is apparent that they are not in the best of health. Their lack of awareness on the underlying risks associated with obesity and diabetes means that almost certainly they will suffer serious health crises which will be tragic for them, their families and society.”
Al-Habib emphasized that there are five key points in diabetes management. Continuing education about the illness is essential. Development of a diet program that can be continued over time is a cornerstone of blood sugar control. Exercise is important to bring down blood sugar levels, too. Medication may be required if diet and exercise alone do not succeed in managing the illness. Constant monitoring through use of the glucometer is the best way to know if a diabetic’s blood sugar is well controlled.
“Awareness of diabetes and the importance of weight control have increased dramatically, but these are only the earliest steps in becoming a healthier society,” commented Al-Habib.
“Everywhere I go people are asking me questions about foods and dieting. There is obviously a great desire for accurate information on nutrition. The Saudi Aramco Community Outreach Program is one effort to make the needed information available to the local population. I hope that other groups would consider sponsoring such programs, too.”
