SHALIZA HASSANALI
In the first quarter of 2017, the Ministry of Health intends to roll out screening for 1,000 pregnant women for diabetes on a “trial basis.” Thereafter, the figures will increase to 5,000 women being tested annually.
The announcement came yesterday from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, as he visited the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital to congratulate six mothers who gave birth on Christmas Day to newborn babies.
At Port-of-Spain, three mothers - Sian-Rose Fournillier, Janee Constance and Shanice St Cyr - delivered baby girls, while at Mt Hope, Yolande Clarke and Tricia Dindial had boys. Petlyn Patrick was the lone mother who delivered a girl.
Speaking to the media after congratulation the new parents, Deyalsingh said “we are going to be launching our NDC (non communicable disease) programme in full. And part of that is going to be, for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago, a screening process for diabetes in pregnancy, which will further reduce maternal mortality, as well as the incidents of childhood diabetes and obesity.”
In the first instance, Deyalsingh said “about 1,000 pregnant women” will be tested in 2017.
“And by year three, we want to target about 5,000 women to have them tested for diabetes while they are pregnant because that is a major complication of pregnancy ... a major cause for maternal mortality in pregnancy and infant mortality.”
In many cases, Deyalsingh said overweight babies were being born to diabetic mothers.
“And it predisposes that child to a life of diabetes. So we have to break that cycle.”
Deyalsingh said the NCD programme, which should have been attended to a decade ago, will be launched in the first quarter of next year.
“I am going to Cabinet with a note very soon that deals with another part of this issue. Hopefully, if it passes within the next two to three weeks, it would be a game changer for childhood obesity in T&T.
“A private sector doctor has stepped forward, professor Paul Teelucksingh, and he is working with the Ministry of Health to spearhead this,” he said.
The ministry will also be partnering with the Helen Bhagwansingh Diabetes Foundation with this initiative, Deyalsingh revealed.