WATANI International
8 August 2010
Diabetics can face not only dietary issues but also serious problems related to the limbs, including damage to the blood veins and nerves that delays the healing of wounds and can lead to ulcers. Diabetics in Egypt are 40 times more likely than non-diabetics to have a leg or foot amputated as a result of infectious ulcers.
To help stave off the risk of limb amputation, the Egyptian Diabetes Care Association (EDCA) recently opened a new unit for early diagnosis of diabetic leg. Prevention and early intervention is possible for 49 per cent to 85 per cent of those likely to suffer from diabetic limb problems.
The Cairo Rotary Club recently offered EDCA a device to measure the pressure under the foot to detect the sites that bear the heaviest body weight and are most liable to diabetic problems. The device can help recommend the types of shoes most comfortable and beneficial for diabetics.
EDCA’s new device measures nerve connections and blood flow in the lower leg, and this service is provided in units all over the country. The service has been tried out on 300 patients who have been treated free of charge at the Gezira Youth Centre clinic in Zamalek.
A hotline has been set up for reservations and inquiries about the service, which is being provided to patients at affordable prices.
Hotline number: 16363