CAIRO: On Friday Nov. 14, World Diabetes Day, Egypt celebrated the launch of Allo Sukkar Mazboot 16363, a hotline that provides information about diabetes and counseling for patients.
The hotline, which also refers callers to services and resources for further help, was launched by the Egyptian Association for Diabetes (EAD), under the umbrella of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
The first of its kind in Egypt, the hotline aims to provide therapeutic education to diabetic adults, adolescents and children, which comprises basic information on diabetes, application of the treatment, dealing with emergencies, nutrition and life with the chronic illness.
Allo Sukkar Mazboot 16363, is a partnership between local and international organizations including Parma University in Italy, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Foundation Servier, VACSERA, the Ministry of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health and Population and the Rotary Club of Cairo. Sponsors include Telecom Egypt, Alcatel-Lucent and Mobinil.
During the launch, WHO spokesperson Ibrahim El-Kerdany said that the number of diabetics in Egypt has been increasing, and that it now ranks ninth among countries with the most number of diabetics.
“Today is a very important day because this is a hotline that will be available all over Egypt; this is the first hotline for a disease which is increasing all over the developing world, El-Kerdany told Daily News Egypt.
“There is a great need for a hotline like this in Egypt, we commend the efforts of Allo Sukkar Mazboot, which is a nice name – meaning getting the right amount of sugar exactly, he said.
The project began nearly a year and a half ago, said Dr Hashem Bahari, professor of neuropsychiatry and board member of EAD.
“There was an extensive training for the staff answering the hotline down to the finest details, such as tone of voice when answering the caller, he said.
Calls to the hotline cost the same as the local calls, and it is open from 9 am to 9 pm. Within six months, the hotline will be open 24 hours a day, organizers say.
The staff at the call center have access to a data bank that contains frequently asked questions with model answers that a committee of physicians and diabetes specialists has prepared. It also has information on emergency treatments, a guide to hospitals and health units, and other relevant subjects. In case the staff member answering a call doesn’t know the answer, the supervising doctor takes over. If this doctor doesn’t know the answer, the caller is transferred automatically to a consultant.
The team working on the hotline also includes pediatricians, psychologists and nutritionists.
“We want to help people with diabetes of all ages and their families to be able to manage their daily lives and learn how to live better with diabetes, said Bahari, who added that the ultimate goal of the hotline is to reduce diabetes-related emergencies and the costs for the patient.
Representatives from the Health Insurance Authority spoke of the hotline as a “dream of three years in which they have held training workshops for the staff at diabetes centers all over Egypt.
“Our aim is to address the social and psychological barriers of the patient, empower them and raise awareness of the society, said Dr Azza Shaltout, vice president of EAD.
“We want to ensure that the patient has the understanding, knowledge and skills to deal with diabetes, she added.
The high profile guests and speakers, led by former United Nations secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali, noted the productive cooperation behind Allo Sukkar Mazboot.
“As part of the UN December 2006 resolution, every country has to start a national diabetes program and the development of the hotline is a start, said Dr Morsi Arab, chairman of the International Diabetes Federation.
“On April 18, 2009 there will be the Alexandria Declaration which defines the duties and obligations of the government, political parties, NGOs, physicians, pharmacists, the media, patients and everybody living in this country towards diabetes, he added.
Laila El Sioufi, president of Egyptian Association for Diabetes said, “Everyone has to contribute and help. In Egypt we often tend to criticize and say that the government is not doing enough and that the government doesn’t help; all of us have an obligation [to contribute either] by help, presence . but we can’t rely on the government exclusively.
The association’s next steps include the development of Orange Healthcare, a mobile device through which the patient can communicate with the specialist via a video conference.
