The number of people with diabetes in Thailand is growing at an alarming rate. A survey from 2004 found that over 3 million people aged 15 or above had diabetes, and more than half are not aware that they have the disease.Moreover, in Thailand it is estimated that 50% of lower extremity amputations, excluding accidents, are due to diabetes. The majority of these amputations are preventable.Local practice such as bare-foot walking often results in non-healing wounds and ulcers on the feet of people with diabetes.In addition, poverty often leads to late presentation of patients with diabetic wounds at the health facilities. Lack of knowledge and experience of the health care professionals prevent them from delivering proper primary wound care and conduct timely referrals as well as passing on appropriate information on prevention of diabetes and diabetic wounds.Last but not least, with non-healing ulcers there tends to be a blind referral for amputation rather than investing the time and effort in making the ulcer heal and thus save the limb.The project seeks to train multidisciplinary teams of health care professionals on preventive and primary foot care, and thereby improve the health care delivery to people with diabetes.
The two major partners in this project are the Theptarin Hospital and the Foundation for the Development of Diabetes Care.The Theptarin Hospital was the first diabetes centre in Thailand and also the first to establish a multidisciplinary foot and wound care team - a concept they wish to proliferate throughout the country.The Foundation for the Development of Diabetes Care is a foundation aiming at training medical personnel in health care delivery to people with diabetes.
- 252 medical personnel trained- Successful in raising the awareness of medical personnel on wound treatment, preventive foot care, and footwear.- Health care teams that came for the training are multidiscipline. Most of them are nurses, some are doctors, some are physical therapists, some are health educators, etc.- Trainees received enough basic knowledge to recognize problems and if they are ready, kick off foot care services in their facilities.