BAHRAIN has claimed to have broken a world record for the maximum number of blood glucose tests during an eight-hour period.
The Bahrain Medical Society (BMS) said it had tested 2,520 people between 6pm on Monday and 2am yesterday.
The previous record, set on May 13 last year, was in the Italian city of Campobasso, when 1,220 people were tested.
The event was organised by the BMS and Bahrain Diabetes Society in co-operation with the Health Ministry, at the Ma’atam Al Ajam Al Kabeer, Manama.
It was held to mark the conclusion of the holy month of Muharram.
“We have maintained all records as per the guidelines of the Guinness Book and will now send the data for evaluation and possible inclusion in the World Records book,” said BMS president Dr Ahmed Jamal.
“The record may still take a few months to be confirmed.”
He said the society thought of the initiative in keeping with the occasion of Muharram when hundreds of thousands of people gather in Manama.
“If only a percentage of them came forward, we would have a world record,” said Dr Jamal, who revealed there were long queues of people still waiting their turn when the drive ended at 2am.
“We expected to easily cross the earlier record, but did not expect so many would be tested in the eight-hour period,” he said.
“We are glad this has happened.”
Dr Jamal said diabetes was a major problem in this part of the world and needed to be tackled.
“This initiative will be followed by several others that we have lined up in co-operation with the diabetes society,” he said.
Health Minister Dr Faisal Al Hamer and Bahrain Diabetes Society chairman and Minister of State for Defence Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa attended the event.
Members of the BMS and the diabetes society as well as doctors and nurses from Salmaniya Medical Complex, health centres and volunteers were also present.
Last month, the society had claimed a Guinness World Record when 3,252 people turned up and were examined during a special camp to mark the beginning of Muharram.
That record is also still waiting to be confirmed.
By MANDEEP SINGH
Gulf Daily