Diabetes Centre inaugurated at Suntreso Hospital

A Diabetes Support Centre has been inaugurated at the Suntreso Government Hospital in Kumasi.

The Danish Embassy in Ghana, facilitated the construction of the centre which was built by Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company with expertise in diabetes care.

Nana Baafuor Dr Ossei Hyeamann VI (in cloth), the Asantehene’s Mawarehene, the Danish Ambassador, Madam Tove Degnbol(middle), and Vinay Ransiwal (right), the General Manager, Middle Africa, Novo Nordisk, clapping after they jointly cut the tape to inaugurate the centre.

At a ceremony to officially open the centre, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang advised the public particularly those suffering from diabetes not to resort to prayer camps for healing.

He said diabetes was not curable but if well managed, one could live with it for a very long time.

According to him, having diabetes should not be seen as a death sentence and called on the public to seek medical help from the appropriate health care providers.

Nana Baafuor Dr Ossei Hyeamann Brantuo VI (in cloth), Asantehene’s Mawerehene, being assisted by the Danish Ambassador, Madam Tove Degnbol (middle), and Vinay Ransiwal (right), the General Manager, Middle Africa, Novo Nordisk, to cut the tape to inaugurate the Diabetes Support Centre at the Suntreso Government Hospital in Kumasi.

Using himself, as an example, he said he has been living with the disease for the past 25 years and said that with the right education and medication, one could live with the disease "till God calls you home."

He said gradually, the disease was assuming an alarming rate in the country with at least one out of every 10 Ghanaians suffering from it.

He advised against reporting to herbalists and prayer centres with some diseases that have no cure and pleaded with them not to listen to ill advice but to seek early help from hospital in order to manage the disease and prolong their life span.

Madam Tove Degnbol(right), the Danish Ambassador, and Nana Baafuor Dr Ossei Hyeamann Brantuo VI(in cloth), Otumfuo’s Mawerehene, jointly unveiling the plague during the inauguration of the cente. Looking on include, Revered Father Alexander Konduah (in cassock), the Parish Priest, St. Luke Anglican Church, Tanoso.

According to him, there was a perception among Ghanaians that once one has been diagnosed of diabetes, the person would eventually lose a limb if the person was on orthodox medicine.

Dr Tenkorang said it was never true that orthodox medicine leads to the amputation of limbs but rather how one obeys and follows the directives of the health practitioner and how when the disease was diagnosed.

Some of the Diabetic patients who witnessed the new edifice could not hide their joy.

The centre he explained, has come to help the region deal with the menace which was becoming alarming in the region and also to help the diabetic patients to manage their conditions.

Madam Tove Degnbol, the Danish Ambassador, leading Nana Baafuor Dr Ossei Hyeamann Brantuo VI (in cloth), Otumfuo’s Mawerehene, during a tour of the facility.