An audit of health facilities in the Central Division has found that none of the facilities assessed were fully equipped to provide diabetic foot care.
Speaking to fijivillage News during the Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium, Diabetes Fiji Foot Care Project Officer Peni Butucama says the audit was carried out to assess how prepared health facilities were to provide diabetic foot care locally, including whether they had the necessary equipment and specialised tools.
Butucama says the lack of adequate equipment has been a major barrier to providing diabetic foot care closer to where patients live, with many patients having to travel to the Diabetes Centre in Suva, which is already crowded.
The Project Officer says the findings have since been addressed through support from Australian Aid, which funds the foot care training programme and has provided equipment to health facilities.
He says foot care toolkits and autoclaves have already been distributed to facilities in the Central Division.
The toolkits include specialised equipment such as tissue nippers, probes to measure wound depth, nail trimmers, callous scrapers and surgical scissors.
He says autoclaves have also been provided to sterilise equipment after use and prevent cross-contamination between patients.
Butucama says the audit highlights the importance of providing nurses with both training and the necessary equipment.
He says nurses are being trained to provide diabetic foot care at their respective facilities, but they need the appropriate equipment to apply their skills effectively.
Butucama says the Western Division has also recently received foot care toolkits, while autoclaves will be distributed once they are procured.
An audit of health facilities in the Western Division is expected to be carried out soon, while the foot care training programme is now being expanded to the Northern Division.
