The Hospital Network of El Salvador registers an average of 1,800 people with diabetes, according to the Salvadoran Association of Diabetes (ASADI).This figure is alarming, if it is taken into account that the cases are increasing year after year.Members of this association ensure that education is the only way to prevent the progress of this disease.
Asadi representatives revealed daily the page that there is an increase in cases, being San Salvador, San Vicente and San Francisco Gotera, the places with the highest prevalence.For this reason, health authorities consider that it is important to raise awareness and educate the population about the prevention and proper management of this disease.
"The Rosales Hospital attends daily an average of 80 patients within their external consultations, of which 50% is due to Dábetes," says Dr. Nuria Contreras, Asadi collaborator.
Personeros of the Association ensure that one of the main causes that affect the increase in this condition is the lack of education towards the diabetic patient.
“The only treatment is education;If due importance is not given to this disease, it is worth having many hospitals or health units, ”says the specialist.
For his part, Dr. Roberto Cerritos, president of Asadi and endocrinologist, explained daily the page that there must be primary prevention for all, which must be divided into two parts.The first is for the general population and the second for all those who have diabetic relatives."In this we must make a lot of emphasis so that there are no major complications," emphasizes the specialist.
Cerritos indicates that diabetes is the chronic disease that occupies the first place in the country, although in the statistics of the Ministry of Health it does not appear as such."In them, hypertension appears, renal failure among the former, but it must be taken into account that all these are caused by diabetes," says the endocrinologist, Claudia Colato.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that has no cure, but can be controlled with medications, food measures, exercise and especially education.Without them, the patient can develop it until he has various complications such as: blindness, amputations, renal failure, heart problems, among others.
In addition to hereditary factors, this condition can be developed for various causes: overweight, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol intake and hypertension.
"The overweight is an alert call that announces the possibility of suffering from diabetes," says Dr. Claudia López, who in turn recommends to all people who present excess weight, perform the corresponding exams.
“All Latinos have high risk of developing diabetes, especially if the body mass index exceeds normal levels.This means that we are already in danger, ”says the doctor.
The only institution that works fully on the issue of diabetes is the Salvadoran Association of Diabetes, which is over 20 years old at the service of diabetological education."In the Association we try to give education to the diabetic patient without charging a penny," says Dr. Cerritos, and adds that he does not have enough resources, or sufficient means to be able to carry out a mass propaganda.
However, they have delegations in the 14 departments of the country where they also offer educational talks."This is not enough, since many people are not able to gather to educate them as it should," concludes the president of Asadi.
The members of the association insist that they need more support from the government to prevent the increase in cases of diabetes.“Just as we go within 50 years the entire country will be a hospital for diabetics;They will not fitThe patients nowhere, ”Cerritos said.