Specialised help for diabetics is here, thanks to Dr Makhomisane
Dr Mabowa Tshifhiwa Makhomisane recently qualified as a diabetologist after he obtained a post graduate diploma from the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom.
POLOKWANE – “Every year, we lose 1.5 million lives as a result of complications related to diabetes in the country,” Dr Mabowa Tshifhiwa Makhomisane said.
Makhomisane recently qualified as a diabetologist after he obtained a post graduate diploma from the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom, and he plans to continue with his masters degree next year. A diabetologist is a doctor who specialises in the management of diabetes.
Makhomisane, who is married with three children, has more than 12 years of experience in the medical field and told Polokwane Observer he decided to further his studies in diabetes because he realised what impending catastrophe the community faces. According to him, most research on the treatment of diabetes is conducted overseas and there is not a lot of research on how diabetes affects Africans and what the best medication would be for local residents.
“Unfortunately, we do not have a programme that focuses only on diabetes in South Africa yet. As a front-line worker for the treatment of diabetes, I had to equip myself to prepare for what is coming. Furthering my studies at one of the world’s most renowned universities in the field of diabetes seemed to be the most prudent solution. Being a diabetologist does not only equip myself, but my colleagues and junior doctors as well, through master class programmes I can now implement locally,” he explained.
Makhomisane added diabetes is a growing occurrence in Polokwane and the province, especially in the past 10 years. Previously, he said, patients who suffered from type 2 diabetes used to be much older, however, the illness now affects children as well. In 2023 he plans to launch a state-of-the-art diabetic centre in the Limpopo, which will host a team of experts including dieticians, podiatrist, biokineticist, physio and psychologists who will be ready to help local patients.
“This team will focus on community engagements, including outreaches to rural areas to educate patients on the risks of diabetes. We will use various platforms such as radio, newspapers, social media and television to promote prevention of diabetes. The centre will include some of the imported cutting-edge technologies to keep up with the current global standards of care for diabetes,” he concluded.
