The Georgetown hospital is today launching a project to improve diabetic foot care following a $15M grant from the Canadian Cooperation Fund.

In a press release the hospital said the Fund, a branch of the Canadian International Development Agency, has provided the means to further improve diabetic foot care. The hospital said too the year-long project which also includes $7M in counterpart funding will bring Canadian diabetic foot specialists to Guyana to train its local health workers, as well as those at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre to screen and educate patients on foot care. The specialists are also expected to introduce new methods of diabetic foot ulcer management, including using devices to reduce the pressure on patients’ feet.

The hospital said Guyana is deeply affected by the worldwide pandemic of Type II diabetes. Between 6% and 9% of the population is afflicted with this disease which is the third leading cause of death in the nation. Complications from the disease such as foot disease, visual impairment, kidney ailments and accelerated risks of heart attack and stroke cause a great deal of suffering and premature death.

The hospital said it has found that foot ulcers are a common problem among diabetics and result in 10% of all of the surgical admissions at the hospital. “Diabetics are 15 times more likely to suffer an amputation than the general public,” the release said. Foot ulcers precede amputations in 85% of cases. In an effort to curb these statistics the hospital said it, along with the Ministry of Health opened a Diabetic Foot Centre in September. It also urges patients to follow the ministry’s guidelines for diabetic care.