‘Preventing a diabetes case saves $297 a year’
Dr Bishwajit Bhowmik, Project Director of the Centre for Global Health Research under Bangladesh Diabetic Samity (BADAS), gave the estimate, citing several research publications at BMC Health Services
Preventing a single case of diabetes could save $297 annually, said health experts at a policy dialogue in Dhaka, suggesting paying greater attention to the prevention of diabetes to avoid blindness and save money.
Dr Bishwajit Bhowmik, Project Director of the Centre for Global Health Research under Bangladesh Diabetic Samity (BADAS), gave the estimate, citing several research publications at BMC Health Services.
Orbis International, Bangladesh organised the dialogue titled "Integrated Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Retinopathy Services – Reaching the Unreached" on Sunday to raise awareness about diabetes and its impact on individuals, families and the national economy, says a press release.
Presiding over the event, National Professor AK Azad Khan said Bangladesh can set up an example in healthcare service in the world "if proper attention is given to disease prevention".
He further said that Bangladesh has made tremendous achievements in the development of healthcare infrastructure and advised the physician community to take a new approach to take healthcare services to grassroots people to make full use of the infrastructure.
"There is a complaint from the physician community that people do not avail services, which is not true. The problem is we [doctors] do not know what language will motivate them to avail the services," said Prof Azad, also the president of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.
Director General of Directorate General of Medical Education Prof AHM Enayet Hussain, Line Director for Non-communicable Disease Control at the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Robed Amin and Line Director for Community Based Health Care Dr Masud Reja Kabir, Country Director of Orbis International, Bangladesh Dr Munir Ahmed, Project Director of BADAS Dr Bishwajit Bhowmik, WHO Medical Officer (NCD) Sadhana Bhagwat, Orbis International Project Manager Shafiqul Islam, Bangladesh Post Executive Editor Shiabur Rahman Shihab, spoke on the occasion, among others.