Diabetic talks about challenges

 The last person to speak during the commissioning of a diabetes testing machine at the Angau General Hospital in Lae, yesterday, was a living testimony to the several speeches by speakers who advised against unhealthy lifestyles to prevent the disease.
Lae diocese Catholic Bishop Christian Blouin was given the honour to pray and bless the machine and he calmly introduced himself as a diabetic person for the last 15 years.
When queried after the ceremony, the white-haired bishop said he was diagnosed in Canada and since then had taken on a strict sugar-free diet, healthy practices such as running and being careful about pricks and cuts to his body.
“I am very careful about what I eat, for example, I don’t eat fruits like bananas and I do a lot of exercise and I don’t go barefoot,” he said.
Angau physicist Dr Cathy Timothy, who deals with diabetic patients, said studies by the health department had indicated a sharp increase in diabetes, with its diagnostic rate overtaking HIV/AIDS.
With about 10 new cases established each month at the hospital, she said: “We need to make more awareness for the people.”
Morobe Governor Kelly Naru challenged the public to cut down the increasingly popular lifestyle of consuming manufactured goods as most products contained sugar.
“Control your desire to take in agents which are diabetic, especially sugar, our lifestyle practice is in our hands,” he said.
“It is sad to see diabetes come into PNG through our changed lifestyle.”