It's an effort to intervene early and prevent lower limb amputation among patients. We stopped by the KHMH this morning where the pop up care campaign was taking place and here's what we gathered, Jomarie Lanza reports.

In 2021 diabetes mellitus was the second leading cause of death in Belize affecting 43.4% of women. While the disease has a multitude of impacts on the body's organs, the severity of a patient's case can easily be determined by their foot health. And since the country is short of podiatrists, KHMH is providing foot screening training guided by a Canadian specialist in this field. He's teaching the community health workers how they can better care for diabetic patients within their area by analyzing their foot health.

Greg Lawrence, Canadian Podiatrist
"So my background, I am a foot specialist and so with diabetes, it can affect various parts of the body from the eyes, kidney and heart to the feet, and with the feet it affects the vascular the blood flow to the feet as well as the nerve supply for sensitivity and often diabetics are slow and healing, so teaching them how to assess the circulation so we can determine if there is a lack of blood flow that we should be concerned with teaching them if there is lack of sensation with some of the different tests we use to see. So we can flag the patients that are at risk and get them seen and addressed before something starts like wounds on the foot or amputation happens. It's all preventative measures."

"Well stats wise I mean it's bad everywhere there seems to be that diabetes is on the rise. Many reasons being genetic it could be our diet. It could be our way of doing things like that but when I came the first time we wanted to do something like this but we couldn't manage to get it done so we just myself and a colleague went and treated all these patients and tried to do what we could. We saw all kinds of different ailments and problems, and we are trying to see some here today, but the goal is really more education for the people here so they can bring it to the communities and help their fellow citizens."

Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer who is also the Vice President of the International Diabetes Federation says that they were in Independence village yesterday and plan to take the clinic to another location. She stressed on the importance of ensuring that diabetic patients should take the initiative of getting their foot checked regularly.

Sharon Frazer, Legal Officer, Belize Diabetes Association
"This is something that we have always wanted to do and try to do it as often as we can get the expert. What people don't know is that we have no podiatrist in Belize, a foot doctor. A lot of people are playing with the fuck that one of the effects of having diabetes is neuropathy. Neuropathy leads to poor circulation, which then leads to ultimately the persons aren't taking care of themselves to foot loss or limb loss. So it is important for a person just like how you go to your doctor or your dentist to also check your feet. That is also a part of the whole process of checks that you need to do as a diabetic. Your feet can be very telling earlier. I have the doctor check my foot and show the community health workers who we are collaborating with how to check one pulse they can check your pulse from your feet. You can check your circulation just from examining your foot and several other things can be checked just by looking at your foot."

The Public Relations officer for the KHMH, Tylon Tillet who is also a member of the Belize Diabetes Association told us more about his diabetic journey since joining the association 2 years ago, and since recently amputating one of his toes.

Tylon Tilet, Member, Belize diabetes Association
"As it relates to foot care I've had a personal journey with amputation myself, and I had an amputation. I think it was in December I lost a toe and Dr Monghia here at the KHMH did an excellent job. It is now healed but that is just part of getting an amputation. You have to learn how to take care of it and what to wear what not to wear and so I said getting another opportunity for someone else to take a look at my foot and getting more advice is always appreciated anybody with diabetes I encourage them to do your best to take care of your feet so you won't end up in any situations. We know that diabetics are people who have no feeling in their feet and the footwear that you are wearing. Daily checks are very very necessary."

The Belize Diabetes Association will be taking the clinic to orange walk and Corozal tomorrow at the red cross building from 10:30am to 3:00pm.