With an increasing incidence of diabetes, there is a growing need for endocrinologists around the world, according to an expert. The first ever conference of the American Assocication of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) opened here yesterday, brought in the idea of establishing a training programme on endoicrinology.
The Minister of Public Health and the Secretary-General of Supreme Council of Health H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani opened the the First International AACE-Gulf Conference on Diabetes, Obesity and other Endocrine Diseases, organisaed by Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar Diabetes Association in association with the American Assocication of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE).
“Many of the issues related to diabetes we face in the US are translatable in the international arena, mainly in Qatar and the region,” said Jeffrey R Garber, Secretary, AACE.
“There is much talk on increasing diabetes cases in Qatar, but the key issue is how many of them see an endocrinologist. Are there enough endocrinologists to meet the needs of diabetic patients here,” he told The Peninsula. There is lesser number of endocrinologists than their demand in the US. More than 90 percent of the patients are cared by doctors in primary health facilities, according to him. “There is a huge shortage and to meet these needs, we have to train non-endocrinology specilists on giving effective tratment for diabteic patients. In this way, we might be able to make small, but significant changes in life as using endocrinologists’ methods can have huge impact.
AACE trains some 250 to 300 fellows each year on various methods to treat diabetes patients. “The programme is one of the best in the world to train doctors, mainly those in primary healthcare facilty which sees 90 percent of these cases, in enodcrinology. It is easy to translate the methods from us and with all the facilities avalable here, Qatar can explore the option to have an International Endocrinology Universitiy.”
“AACE is a refernce for all endocrinologists and diabetologist in the world with the organisation doing lots of studies on diabtese. With this, our doctors will have up-to-date knowledge about the newest resaerch within diabetes and cardio vascular disease. After the conference we hope to discuss the suggestions put forward by the experts to enhance the diabetes care in qatar,” said Dr Adullah Al Hamaq, Executive Director, QDA.
By HUDA N V
The Peninsula