In celebration of World Diabetes Day, Healthy Life Clinic, together with the Sri Lanka Housewives Association conducted an educational seminar for their membership, focussing on the vital need of family support in diabetes care. In keeping with this year’s World Diabetes Day theme titled ‘Diabetes and Family’, the workshop, was held on Tuesday 27th November, from 2.30 to 5.30 p.m at Milagiriya Church Hall, Colombo 4, witnessed an eminent panel of medical professionals discussing how diabetes affects the whole family and not just the individual and how best to control it.
The panellists included – Dr Ruwaiz Haniffa, President, Sri Lanka Medical Association and Consultant family physician, Dr Mubarak, President, Sri Lanka Heart Association and Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Niroshini Yahampath, Consultant Endocrinologist, Dr Kayathri Periasamy, Consultant Physician, Mrs Anusha Jatheesan, Consultant Nutritionist and Dr. Sanjeev Kelkar, Consultant Diabetologist.
“Family support in diabetes care has shown to have a substantial effect in improving health outcomes for people with diabetes. It is therefore important that ongoing diabetes self-management education and support be accessible to all people with diabetes and their families, to reduce the emotional impact of the disease that can result in a negative quality of life” said Dr Kayathri Periasamy, Consultant Physician and Director, Healthy Life Clinic.
Dr Kayathri went on to note that diabetes can drive families to pain, distress and poverty and conducting an awareness to the members of the Sri Lanka Housewives Association is a natural fit to bring diabetes awareness to the forefront, given that housewives are central to a family’s wellbeing. “What better group to propagate this information to than the Sri Lanka Housewives Association members” she expressed.
Dr Haniffa discussed the importance of taking ownership of the ailment individually and to work at it with the support of their family in controlling the disease. Highlighting the fact that heart disease is the commonest cause of death among diabetics, Dr Mubarak expressed that such a patient needs to keep a close eye on their blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels to reduce the chances of heart attacks.
During the panel discussion, Dr Yahampath enlightened the audience on lesser known facts on the disease and answered the questions. The final agenda of the day was a quick presentation by Consultant Physician, Anusha Jatheesan and Chef Rizna on eating healthy and including vegetables in the family diet.
Healthy Life Clinic was founded in 2005 as a diabetic care centre which is now a multi-speciality medical centre with a team of renowned General Physicians and specialist Consultants. Central to the clinic is a complete diabetes management centre with foot and related eye care, with experienced health-care specialists managing it.