Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube [email protected]
CIMAS Health Group conducted an outreach in Victoria Falls to educate residents about wellness and healthy living as part of World Diabetes Day commemorations in the wake of the prevalence of communicable diseases.
World Diabetes Day is commemorated every 14 November and this year’s theme was: “Diabetes and Well-being.”
The day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about diabetes as a critical global public health issue and emphasise the collective and individual actions needed to address the challenges.
With a focus on well-being and healthy living, Cimas Health Group, after holding the IGO half marathon in Bulawayo over the weekend, took the awareness to Victoria Falls where Cimas Victoria Falls Clinic held an outreach targeting residents.
More than 300 residents were attended to and received services in the measurement of body mass index (BMI), random blood glucose level, blood pressure check, education on diabetes mellitus, general health advice tailored to made for the client in question, free consultations, sharing of diabetes mellitus related literature and other services like risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, complications, preventative methods.
Cimas Victoria Falls Clinic is one of the primary health facilities opened by the health group countrywide as it complements the Government in ensuring universal coverage of health as well as making sure primary care is closer to citizens.
Cimas Victoria Falls Clinic Manager Dr Bekezela Ndhlovu led the process.
The outreach was necessitated by the need for a health awareness campaign for the Victoria Falls community considering that there is a rise in non-communicable diseases in Zimbabwe and we thought it’s a condition that is relevant to our community and Zimbabwe at large, said Dr Ndlovu.
He said this is why they commemorated world diabetes day by doing a wellness event targeted at giving back to the community.
Dr Ndlovu said the occasion was important because of the rise in non-communicable diseases in Zimbabwe and the world.
“Diabetes Mellitus has a lot of possible debilitating complications that would be a huge cost to the clients and the healthcare system in the country. The cost of a diagnosis can push some families it poverty or catastrophic poverty because of out-of-pocket expenses.
“Potential complications of DM include, blindness, kidney failure, peripheral neuropathy, Myocardial Infarction, cerebral vascular accidents, poor wound healing and compromised immune system that may lead to amputation,” he said.
Cimas chief marketing officer Mrs Tatenda Maadzikanda, speaking during a media in Bulawayo last Friday, encouraged both men and women to constantly get health check-ups.
“I encourage members to go for screening. Let’s get screened and be diagnosed to be able to get treatment. This November, I encourage all men to get screened,” she said.
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