The Diabetic Clinic has re-opened at the Lotemau Mall at Saleufi, three years since its operation at the Eleelefou closed.

The Deputy Director General (Public Health), Dr. Robert Thomsen, said the clinic's previous location was shut because of safety reasons.

They are awaiting the completion of Government works before they can move back. 

“The intention of the clinic is to try and relieve the workload of people turning up to the hospital, but its main purpose is to serve as screening where people can come and have their blood pressure and sugar level checked,” he said. 

“At the moment it’s free for the public until a time when we will decide to start charging fees mainly for administrative and operation functions of the clinic. We haven’t decided how much it will cost.  

“We are contracting private health practitioners at the clinic as we don’t have enough staff at the hospital to take down to the clinic at Lotemau under the Public Private Partnership Program to cover for that service.” 

Dr. Thomsen said from their survey conducted every 10 years, there has been a continuous increase in the number of people with diabetes. 

“In 2002, our survey showed it was 21 per cent and 2013 it increased to 26 per cent. We are hoping for the next survey to be by the end of this year or next year. 

“Our high obesity rate for males and females as well as the high level of physical inactivity is concerning because this leads to diabetes and hypertension in middle-aged people.” 

Dr. Thomsen said the increasing number of child obesity is also a concern because children can develop symptoms of hypertension and diabetes at a younger age. 

“Based on the records back in 2015, the youngest person diagnosed with diabetes was 14. 

“So childhood obesity is a concern because children can develop diabetes, hypertension later on in life instead of a later age, it develops at an earlier age.”