Mobile diabetes clinic to tour Phuket

PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) is organizing a year-long mobile diabetes test clinic aimed at testing 50,000 people who fall into high-risk categories for the disease.

Reporting to Phuket Vice-Governor Smith Palawatvichai at the “Governor Meets the Media” event at Phuket Provincial Hall on the morning of May 15, PPHO Chief Dr Wanchai Sattayawutthipong said the outreach project would go by the name Nai Baowaan, or “Mr Diabetes” and would establish dates to visit each district on the island.

The project is part of a national campaign to stem a rise in the incidence of the chronic disease, a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels for which some 3 million Thais are now under treatment.

Obesity is a major risk factor, as overweight people are statistically five times more likely to acquire the disease, he said.

The main target of the Mr Diabetes campaign will be overweight people aged 40 and above, who are likely to acquire the disease though poor eating habits and lack of exercise. Some 7% to 8% of the island’s over-40 population are thought to fall into the risk category, Dr Wanchai estimated.

In addition to screening patients, the clinic will include a public awareness campaign encouraging those at risk to develop healthier eating habits and get more exercise.

Dr Wanchai encouraged residents to eat more vegetables, replace fatty sources of protein with lean protein such as fish, and switch from white rice to the fiber-full brown rice.

The campaign aims to screen up to 60% of the island’s over-40 population, or about 50,000 people, he said. Each clinic will be staffed by doctors, nurses and support staff.

Dr Wanchai also urged parents to be on the lookout for symptoms of diabetes in their children, such as weight loss. About 30% of child diabetes cases are hereditary, he said.