B.F.L.A. and N.H.I. Team Up on Diabetes Care
The Belize Family Life Association/ National Health Insurance clinic has launched a project to help diabetics get tested and educated about this disease that affects thousands of Belizeans. The initiative is particularly important right now, since some diabetics have been so afraid of catching COVID-19 they may not have been getting the support they need.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The B.F.L.A./N.H.I. Clinic has launched a project to support their diabetic patients because since the pandemic started, fewer diabetic patients are going in to the clinic. According to Doctor Natalie Bruce, many diabetics and other patients are fearful of being exposed to COVID-19 at the facility and so they don’t visit the doctor to check on their health.
Natalie Bruce
Dr. Natalie Bruce, Medical Director, B.F.L.A./N.H.I. Clinic
“So as to make a connection with the patient and still be in tuned with them in terms of follow up or questions or concerns they may have as well as newly diagnosis we decided to start a support group so as to reach out to our patients as well as to give information to others that may be inquiring about diabetes. So you find that the patients they would prefer to do the refills rather than coming in to get the proper examination at the clinic. You also have patients that are not properly controlled because some of them go months without their medication and when they do return the blood sugar might be high and they might have certain complications, for example, infections that may not have been intended at home.”
And for that reason this diabetic support group will be doing community outreach, as well as other forms of online support. Administrator Cheryl Gaboural says they will start with testing and education to help Belizeans reduce the chances of their condition leading to more serious health complications such as kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
Cheryl Gaboural
Cheryl Gaboural, Administrator, B.F.L.A./N.H.I. Clinic
“Within Belize, Diabetes is very prevalent and so the more you know of your condition and the more you know of where you are as a patient with diabetes or not diabetes, it is best for individuals to understand where they are. So, the clinic itself assists individuals who come in to see us with proper management of their diabetes. So, at our clinic we don’t want you to come in already having diabetes, so we are looking at it from a preventative perspective. Some people surprisingly come in with glucose level of three hundred and four hundred and then they become alarm. And so we are saying to individuals let’s check and get to know where you are before you get to that point.”
Mesha King lives with diabetes. She has volunteered at the clinic because she wants more young people to educate themselves so they can manage or prevent diabetes.
Mesha King
Mesha King, Diabetic Mentor & Project Intern, B.F.L.A./N.H.I. Clinic
“We are currently working on the walk to freedom. They can come in and join us and help walk to fight diabetes. We want to promote healthcare and to being and eating healthy. As a diabetic myself I understand and as a young person I want to encourage other young people that you can’t be just eating any and everything. I never expected to get diabetes. But I did. I gained over two hundred pounds and after that I was diagnosed with diabetes and I lost all that weight. Right now I am managing my diabetes with insulin. With this project I am hoping to reach out to them to prevent them to having to take medication on a whole because taking insulin and injecting yourself twice a day is not a pretty sight.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
The B.F.L.A./N.H.I. clinic is also hosting a raffle to raise funds to support the project. You can get your tickets for one dollar at the clinic on the corner of Central American Boulevard and Mahogany Street.
