SEVENTY per cent of the country’s surgical workload is made up of diabetic foot surgery.
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa revealed the statistic yesterday while speaking about the importance of a new minor operating theatre funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mr Ravunawa said diabetic foot disease is one of the biggest reasons patients require surgery, making the additional operating facility an important step in improving patient care.
“We have over 220 village health workers all across the country,” he said.
“And their work is to educate the villagers, the people in the settlements and communities to take care of their own health.
“Meaning their diet choice, their physical exercise, their rest time, all that are important.”
However, Mr Ravunawa said Fijians continue to rely on herbal medicine and other faith-based beliefs before seeking medical treatment.
He said this often results in patients presenting to hospitals only after their diabetes-related complications have reached the stage of necessary amputation.
Mr Ravunawa said the new minor operating theatre will allow diabetic foot procedures to be carried out more quickly and closer to patients in the surgical ward.
“Collectively, these improvements represent a significant step forward in strengthening paediatric care and ensuring that every child receives safe, dignified and compassionate healthcare.”
