Diabetes Fiji has raised serious concerns over the lack of public awareness on the signs and symptoms of diabetes.

Chair Mohammed Taabish Akbar says late detection is leading to an increase in amputations across major hospitals.

Akbar says that shockingly, a significant number of patients undergoing these procedures weren’t even aware they had diabetes.

“Research has shown that diabetes contributed to 65.4 percent of end stage amputations every eight hours in major hospitals and 16 percent of diabetics who get amputated have no prior knowledge of their health status.”

Akbar says hospitals are overwhelmed by NCD cases, compounded by severe manpower shortages.

“Reports highlighted limited manpower and beds in hospitals to manage caseloads on day to day basis of which more than 50 percent are NCDs related.”

Akbar believes these challenges call for all stakeholders to unite in addressing this health crisis.

Eighty percent of premature deaths in Fiji are linked to diabetes or related NCDs.

Akbar is also calling for the urgent release of the STEPS NCD Risk Factor Survey to help establish a surveillance system to monitor and combat diabetes.

Meanwhile, Asco Motors stepped in yesterday as a partner, donating a vehicle to Diabetes Fiji to support their ongoing work.