Diabetic Assoc stages health fair

May 13, 2010 News

Glynis Alonzo Beaton, President of the Guyana Diabetic Association of Guyana checking the blood pressure level of one of the patrons at the Health Fair on the lawns of the YWCA.

The Guyana Diabetic Association in collaboration with the Lions Club of Guyana, Stabroek, held a health fair yesterday morning on the lawns of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA).
Health checks were given free of charge for Hypertension, Diabetes and impaired vision individuals.
Roxanne Luckie delivered the opening remarks. She is the District Associate for Sight Conservation. Registered Nurse, Glynis Alonzo Beaton, who is also the President of the Guyana Diabetic Association also made a presentation.
On hand for these health checks was Nurse Beaton, who along with other Lions Club members, was part of the team who were checking for hypertension, diabetes and eye troubles in that sequence.
A device referred to as the Glucometre was used to conduct blood sugar tests. Those who had the blood sugar readings of 140 and beyond were administered tablets for regulating their glucose levels and advised on their daily dosages.
The Diabetic Association President remarked that “140 and over means that the blood sugar is high.” A pre-diabetic stage is 136 and in Guyana, the Ministry of Health uses 135 as the range which persons should not have their blood sugar levels exceed.
Nurse Beaton informed the crowd that there is a blood sugar test that is done every three months free of charge at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC) referred to as HBIC. It is the most accurate of blood sugar results and it is the test that is used in the United States. But, it is a costly procedure for most Guyanese.
President of the Diabetic Association, Glynis Alonzo Beaton, stated that those with high blood sugar should wait three months before having eye tests done. That is if they had just discovered that they are diabetic.
High blood sugar adds pressure to the eyes that render wrong eye tests.
There are those persons who are unaware of their blood sugar levels who do not realize that they are diabetics. This disease leads to vision loss once not in check.
Some persons for the first time discovered that they were hypertensive or diabetic and even both.
They were advised that their blood pressure levels should be at certain ranges. For example, the systolic of 120 and the diastolic of 80 is normal blood pressure.
On the contrary, a systolic reading of 140 and a diastolic reading of 90 is high blood pressure. This is when a person should check with a physician to have their blood pressure under control.
There was a minor chart determining the cholesterol level and what it was prescribed to be. However, this aspect was not a part of the healthy check up for the day.
There were two erected tents on the YWCA lawns where the Lions Club members were administering meals to patients from the session. Nurse, Alonzo Beaton advised the gathering that they should not eat their entire serving of food all at once since this could raise their blood sugar levels rendering the tablets ineffective.
Beaton recommended “Eat half of the amount now and eat the other half later, or else your blood sugar will skyrocket and the tablets will not work.”
The Registered Nurse who admittedly is also a diabetic 20 years now, told the patients that they can eat tasty foods but in certain amounts. She stressed, “We need to eat meals in portions. Eat half now and eat the other half three hours later. Portion control is important.”
Lens Craft was among some of the volunteer organisations that rendered their services to the community free of charge. The eye care institution’s ophthalmologist, Dr Helen Sanchez, performed eye tests.
She found that most of the patrons suffered from some sort of impaired vision. She said, “Nine out of ten patients had eye problems.” Therefore, they will need prescription spectacles. Other volunteers were miners and persons from the Guyana Geology and Mines (GGMC).
Patrons were waiting since 6:30 hours yesterday to be attended to first by health officials. The health session commenced at 9:30 hours and ran until 15:00 hours.
The Lions Club and its various districts from all parts of Guyana used this initiative for blood sugar testing since May is designated as “Blindness Awareness Month,” according to the District Associate for Sight Conservation, Roxanne Luckie.

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