Maria Holder Diabetes Centre playing major role

Since its opening in 2014, The Maria Holder Diabetes Centre for the Caribbean has managed nearly 600 patients referred from the various Polyclinics across Barbados.

Chief Executive Officer, Cally Boyea said this has been possible by means of an agreement between the Centre and the Ministry of Health.

He explained that the agreement makes provision for patients to be referred from the Polyclinics for a six-month period of comprehensive diabetes care and self-management education.

“Patients are referred according to simple guidelines, whether they are newly diagnosed persons, have poorly controlled diabetes or a foot ulcer. Once someone with diabetes develops a foot wound or ulcer, they are at a high risk of infection, limb loss, loss of productivity and eventually depression. The healing of such a wound is an uphill battle requiring the input of several care providers.”

Boyea, who was at the time addressing the presentation ceremony of Vascular Doppler Scanners to the Ministry of Health, expressed that The Maria Holder Diabetes Centre views it role as pivotal and integrative, having recognised that multiple care provider involvement, self-management education and support in various forms gives the person with diabetes the best chance of maintaining good management for life – allowing as normal a life as possible, and the avoidance of complications.

The Centre’s CEO also observed that in Barbados there are just about 200 amputations annually with no significant reduction over the past several years. He stressed that of concern is the higher proportion of major amputations.

“I have been made to understand this may be due to late presentations which is accompanied by high rates of poor blood supply to the legs and feet.”

“At the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre early observation and detection leads to significant reduction of chronic cases. Clearly, early prevention is not only better than cure, but certainly much less costly to the patient and Government of Barbados,” he pointed out.

New Initiative
Boyea took the opportunity to share with health care professionals that the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre is looking into ways to further improve its association with the surgical department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

“In essence, what we are looking at is the need for a National Approach to the care of the Diabetic limb – as against an institutional approach,” he explained.

“No one practitioner or institution can solve this problem. It requires the concerted effort of primary, secondary and tertiary care providers to create a cost-effective model of medical care. The Polyclinics, or we at the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre cannot do this alone.”

“What we are talking about is a holistic approach – of which this donation forms just one part. With this, The Maria Holder Diabetes Centre for the Caribbean commits, with the support of all the other key stakeholders in the care of Diabetes, to be proactive in supporting and assisting with not just better care, but superior care for all Barbadians living with diabetes,” Boyea further stressed. (TL)