As more people these days are adopting unhealthy lifestyle diabetes is getting to be a serious disease over the years

Diabetes is a non-communicable disease and a leading cause of deaths. This ailment had been affecting 422 million adults worldwide in 2014. Over the years more cases of diabetes are surfacing largely due to the sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits of the people. April 7 every year is observed as  World Health Day, and this year’s theme is diabetes.  This is very appropriate and  drawing attention about this disease could contribute to the early detection and prevention with this deadly disease. Diabetes are of two types –Type 1 is caused when the pancreas stops producing insulin which cannot be cured and nothing done about it and the Type 2 of diabetes, which is more common with nearly 90 per cent of all diabetes cases recorded. The Type  2 can be prevented and  controlled with regular exercise and eating healthy food along with medication if needed. It is essential to carry out tests for sugar in the blood in order to detect the disease. Pre-diabetes cases are also found from these tests enabling the medical practitioners to prevent the patients from contracting diabetes.

Diabetes is caused by excess of sugar in the blood harming the blood vessels as a result of which there is low supply of blood to the vital organs of the human body such as the heart, eyes, kidneys and also the feet in most cases. At present, we seem to be losing the battle against this killer disease which is also likely to cause infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Moreover, about half the people afflicted by the disease do not know that they have the disease and diabetes-related deaths are on the increase.

As we celebrate the World Health Day we should realize the threat posed by diabetes which creates many dangerous health problems.  It is essential to reduce the number of diabetes cases though the adoption of preventive measures and also simple lifestyle. Walking, jogging and gardening, among other physical activities and also exercise would go a long way in dealing with diabetes and reduce the risk of catching the disease. As more people these days are adopting unhealthy lifestyle diabetes is getting to be a serious disease over the years. In the case of Nepal, there are about 1,328,000 people living with diabetes. This should sound the alarm bell for it can also result in heart attacks, blindness and also damage to the nerves. Meanwhile, the affected patients should have regular check ups as it is possible to prevent and treat cases of diabetes. These days the adolescents also appear to be more vulnerable to the disease as they are not doing enough exercise and going for sugary fast foods and drinks. According to the WHO, this disease is of particular concern in South-East Asia-including highly populated India and Indonesia where there are more diabetics and many deaths take place due to the disease. Global GDP losses related to diabetes is expected to reach as much $1.7 trillion by the year 2030 in both developed and developing countries. Thus, the behavioral pattern needs to be changed in tackling with diabetes. Here the adoption of a healthy lifestyle can make the difference when it comes to coping with diabetes.

Quack doctors

The Nepal Medical Council (NMC) has suspended the medical registration of 17 so-called medical practitioners arrested on charges of using fake academic certificates to obtain medical degrees from various universities or colleges, particularly from outside the country. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), NMC and Higher Secondary Education Board had jointly launched an extensive investigation on the fake doctors under their “Operation Quack”. The joint investigation has found that all the arrested doctors who have now been barred from conducting medical practice were found to have either tampered with the original certificates or produced fake ones to earn medical degrees.

They were found to have produced fake academic certificates of SLC or intermediate level before getting admission for the MBBS course. The NMC has also suspended their temporary or permanent licenses until the final verdict of the court. Most of these so-called doctors were also found to have worked in private hospitals and clinics in the border areas of the Tarai and remote hill districts. They have duped the people for long. They must not remain complacent with the arrest of them. A thorough investigation must be launched on those who have obtained medical degrees from outside the country.