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21-year-old girl is the youngest amputee due to diabetes in Fiji
Alcohol plays a big role and increases a person’s chance of getting diabetes – Dr Qereqeretabua

21-year-old girl is the youngest amputee due to diabetes in Fiji

Alcohol plays a big role and increases a person’s chance of getting diabetes – Dr Qereqeretabua

By Navitalai Naivalurua
07/12/2023
General Surgeon at Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Dr Timoci Qereqeretabua

Alcohol plays a big role and increases a person's chances of getting diabetes, and the youngest amputee in the country is a 21-year-old girl.

This was revealed by the General Surgeon at Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Doctor Timoci Qereqeretabua while speaking during the fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan.

Dr Qereqeretabua says the high consumption of alcohol by young people is evident when the nightclub closes at 1am.

He says Fijians do not drink every day, but we do binge drinking.

Dr Qereqeretabua says they have noticed in the past 10 to 20 years a change in the lifestyle of people, many young people also drinking a lot of carbonated drinks and ready to drink alcohol mixes.

He says they have also noticed that younger people are being diagnosed with diabetes.

He adds this is pointing them in a direction that our lifestyle is changing very fast.

The General Surgeon says that lifestyle changes are a big cause of Type 2 diabetes and also caused a dramatic rise in diabetes in the country.

He adds that it is estimated that 1 in 3 people in the country might be diabetic.

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