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Complications of diabetes constitute a significant problem in Surinam primarily due to late diagnosis and poor control.
To a large extent, these complications are avoidable. However, prevention of complications requires continuous attention on symptoms and information to people living with diabetes.
At present the health care capacity in Surinam is hard strained due to lack of resources and well trained personnel. As a consequence issues such as prevention and education in the area of diabetes care come under pressure.
Objective
The objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity for diabetes prevention and management by establishing a national training course for diabetes nurses.
Approach
The Surinam Ministry of Health recognises that diabetes care in Surinam is insufficient and that it is important to improve it. Therefore it has taken the lead to introduce a specialised course to become diabetes nurse.
The course for diabetes nurses will be placed with the Surinam institution responsible for central training of nurses and related occupations (COVAB). Expert assistance will be provided by a team consisting of the Dutch NGO COGESUR, Langerhans Foundation, University of Utrecht and University of Rotterdam.
The training programme will be developed to match the specific needs and requirements of Surinam. The course is initially intended only for nurses. The level of the course will be intermediate vocational education plus (MBO+). Later, an amended, lower level course will be started for carers and assistants.
In the first instance, a total of 60 nurses and 60 carers will be trained over a period of 2 years. After that the training is expected to continue as an integrated part of the COVAB training package.
The first two groups of nurses will be trained by the Dutch partners. Among the participants in these two groups, two to four talented students will be identified and trained as teachers. The idea is that these Surinamese teachers will carry out the training of the subsequent groups.
The participants will be nurses and carers with work experience, recruited from poly-clinics and hospitals. After completing the training course, the participants will return to their duty stations and take up positions as diabetes nurses/carers.
It is anticipated that the diabetes nurses and carers will play an important role in prevention and management of diabetes. This will provide nurses with an important role in patient support.
As another important benefit, the work of the diabetes nurses will ease the burden of the hard strained doctors enabling the doctors to focus more attention on the complicated cases.
Expected impact
- 60 nurses and 60 carers will be trained in prevention and management of diabetes
- Early detection of diabetes and its complications
- Improved information to the people living with diabetes
- The long term burden on the national health budget will decrease as timely and effective management and control of diabetes is cost effective
Results to date
- 59 diabetes nurses have been trained; the nurses have spent four weeks in school and three months receiving on-the-job-training in clinics, hospitals and with a podiatrist
- 37 caregivers have been trained in 2 batches
- Training of the third batch of 20 caregivers started November 2007 and will be completed in February 2008
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