As the world marked Diabetes Day, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University College Hospital (UCH), Prof. Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, has called on Nigerians, regardless of their age, to prioritise constant examination of their body systems to avoid untimely death.
The CMD, represented by the chief medical advisory committee (CMAC), Dr. Abiodun Adeoye, made this known during the World Diabetes Day marked by the Department of Paediatrics, UCH, Ibadan.
While speaking with journalists after the awareness walk around the city to sensitise the public about the danger of having excess sugar in the body, Prof. Jesse hinted that diabetes is not a death sentence and that research has shown that the disease is not only found in adults but is also common among children.
He, however, advised the children who have been diagnosed with the disease and are currently being treated in UCH to comply with the instructions of their doctors to keep fit at all times.
“You have walked around the city, which means you must have burnt some calories that will reduce the excess sugar in your body. I want you to comply with your doctor’s advice to keep fit all the time”
The CMD, however, pledges that the hospital will continue to support the department so that more children with the ailment can be cared for.
In her remarks, Dr Oluwakemi Ashubu, the custodian and organiser of the annual event, stated that the public should be familiar with their wards so that any changes can be noticed on time and treated immediately.
“It is an autoimmune disease when some cells of the body are fighting the cells of the pancreas and when these cells are destroyed they will not be able to produce the required insulin to take up the glucose in the blood and deliver it to the cells in the body so they can perform their own functions well; insulin is very essential in the body”.
“When you see a child that suddenly begins to bed wet, loses weight despite eating a lot, or becomes hungry immediately after meals or drinking water more than necessary, parents need to observe and take the child for proper medical examination”
She said no permanent cure has been found for the disease, so compliance with medical instructions is necessary to avoid complications.
Dr Ashubu hinted that the disease is a metabolic disorder in the body system. Insulin is not available to deliver glucose to different cells of the body. The disease may or may not be inherited.
Public health nurses, dieticians, medical social workers, and paediatricians also attended the event. November 14 is set aside as World Diabetes Day every year.
