JEDDAH — Sanofi announced the launch of its Diabetes Training Program for healthcare professionals on how to guide and manage their diabetic patients during the holy month of Ramadan. Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Khaled Al Tayyeb, Consultant Endocrinologist, Nour Hospital, Makkah and President of the Chronic Disease Patients Care Association (Shifa), said: “The core objective of Sanofi's training program is to support diabetic patients through their treating physicians' education on how to successfully defy the possible complications of diabetes during the holy month of Ramadan. The increase of the blood glucose while fasting is considered as one of the main health risks faced by diabetic patients. For this reason, Sanofi's program seeks to educate the physicians on the ideal ways that can help diabetics to achieve a quality of life and live with diabetes in Ramadan. Physicians and nurses will unify their efforts to provide diabetics with the needful information and advisory in this respect.” Dr. Salah Mousa, General Manager of Sanofi Saudi Arabia, said: “During the holy month of Ramadan, the management of diabetes while fasting represents a significant challenge to patients and their treating physicians. Sanofi, in full collaboration with medical and scientific societies, has played a great role to improve access to better diabetes care through various awareness initiatives. Sanofi is also keen to deliver integrated quality care as it is crucial to work hand by hand with healthcare professionals to further educate patients on the ways and means to better manage and control diabetes, not only during the holy month of Ramamdan but throughout the whole year.” Dr. Abdulraof Almahfouz, Consultant Endocrinologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, added “although a good percentage of our patients can safely fast Ramadan, namely those who are diet managed or on medication that do not pose significant risk of hypoglycemia and who are otherwise well controlled, others are at moderate to high risk of complications such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis dehydration and thrombosis. It is therefore imperative that such patients consult with their treating physicians on how best to manage their condition during Ramadan by having a pre-Ramadan assessment. This assessment will address important issues such as meal plan, glucose monitoring, medication timing and doses in addition to exercise; especially for type I diabetes as they are at high risk of life threatening complications.” Diabetes at Ramadan guidelines has been published in May 2015 edition of Modern Medicine Middle East edition. — SG
