Late Diagnosis of Diabetes is Concerning - Dr. Georgey Koshy @Universal

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THE NATIONAL
January 11, 2018

Doctors worried by rise in late-stage diabetes in undiagnosed patients
Dr. Georgey Koshy, Chief Medical Officer of Universal Hospitals, said one reason many patients are presenting late is the lack of insurance coverage for diabetes screening tests.
“GP’s cannot perform random diabetes tests on patients,” he said, adding that there needs to be some evidence or justification for insurers to sign-off on the procedure.
Without a family history of diabetes, many insurers are likely to reject a request for tests from a clinic.
But Dr Koshy said that the public’s awareness is also lacking, despite the fact that about 20 per cent of the Emirates' population has diabetes.
Among UAE nationals specifically, a further 18.5 per cent are 'pre-diabetic' meaning they are at very high risk, according to the Dubai Diabetes Survey.
“There should be more awareness programs and as medical people, we should go out to the public and help increase awareness," he said.
Skipping on visiting a General Practitioner is also contributing to an increase in late diagnoses of diabetes in the country, doctors have warned.


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