XN000022-1992-06-27 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1992

PATIENTS' ROLE IN DIABETES TREATMENT STRESSED

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PATIENTS' OWN COMMITMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY ELEMENTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF DIABETES. HEALTH, DR S.H. LEE, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

ARE ESSENTIAL

THE DIRECTOR OF

SPEAKING AT THE "WORLD DIABETES DAY SEMINAR ON MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES: DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS", DR LEE SAID NEEDLESS TO SAY THE ROLES PLAYED BY MEDICAL AND NURSING PERSONNEL AS WELL AS DIETITIANS IN TREATMENT OF DIABETES WERE IMPORTANT.

"HOWEVER, TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS, PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES SHOULD CO-OPERATE WITH THE MEDICAL AND NURSING STAFF AND ΤΟ EXERCISE SELF-CARE, PARTICULARLY THEIR DIET AND LIFESTYLE.'

DR LEE SAID PATIENTS SHOULD FOLLOW THE IMPORTANT RULES ON DIET AND HAVE A BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISEASE.

HE SAID THE NUMBER OF DIABETICS IN HONG ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN 200,000 AND MANY OF THEM THE DISEASE.

KONG WAS AT PRESENT

WERE UNCONSCIOUS OF

OF THESE, SOME 10,000 ARE IN HOSPITAL. ALSO ABOUT SIX PER CENT OF THE PEOPLE ATTENDING GOVERNMENT GENERAL OUT-PATIENT CLINICS HAVE DIABETES.

"THIS IS ONLY SECOND TO HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS," DR LEE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT DIABETES COULD LEAD то SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS STROKE, HEART DISEASE, KIDNEY DAMAGE AND BLINDNESS.

THEREFORE, HE STRESSED THAT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DIABETES, PUBLIC EDUCATION WAS MOST IMPORTANT.

HE WAS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SEMINARS, TALKS AND EXHIBITIONS ORGANISED PREVIOUSLY ON DIABETES WERE WELL RECEIVED BY THE PUBLIC.

"THIS REFLECTS PUBLIC AND DIABETICS DESIRE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ON THE PREVENTION, CONTROL AND TREATMENT OF THE DISEASE.

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TODAY'S SEMINAR WAS ORGANISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUB DISTRICT 303

HONG KONG AND MACAU, DIABETES DIVISION THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, METABOLISM AND REPRODUCTION, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT.

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IT WAS AIMED AT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC AND THE DIABETICS ON THE NEED OF PROPER CARE AND TREATMENT TO AVOID LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS.

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