help for a diabetic in Africa

[Spiral]

One of my colleagues approached me yesterday and asked me what I made of a reading of 19.7mmol :shock: I said, see a doctor, urgently.

It turned out this was the reading taken from her 83 year old father at the mission hospital in Zambia a couple of days ago. Her dad is about 63kg, about 5.10 and has high blood pressure, for which he has been prescribed medication. He also has some visual problems.

She has sent out some blood testing things, but because of his visual problem he can't use the meter himself. I'm a bit unclear about what the plans are for treatment.

I suggested he needed to get the blood sugar down and I did ask about his diet - lots of starchy carbs such as rice and yam. Meat is very expensive :?

Any advice? She is very worried.

 

[Dr H]

Shot in the dark, but having worked in Africa there are a lot of NGOs on the continent. Mainly dealing with AIDS and malaria admittedly, but it might be worth getting them to an NGO camp as they tend to be better supplied than the mission hospitals.

A change of diet is almost entirely out of the question. Meat is expensive in the west, but in Africa it's extortion. So, the usual 'smaller portions' would have to suffice. And more vegetables.

A small amount of exercise after a meal is always beneficial, going for a walk for example.

I wish him all the best.

 

[Spiral]

Thank you, Dr H.

She is hoping to get him fit enough to travel so that she can get him over here for some treatment, but his age and current health problems are a bit of a barrier to that at the moment :?