Peceli Naviticoko 
[Photo: Supplied]
Labasa Divisional Hospital continues to receive patients with advanced diabetes complications, with some cases progressing to the point where amputation is the only option.
Medical Officer North, Dr Tiko Saumalua, is urging people living with diabetes to seek medical care early and follow their doctors’ advice to prevent complications from worsening.
His warning came during the launch of the Jaipur Foot Camp in Labasa, which aims to provide free prosthetic limbs to around 130 beneficiaries, helping amputees regain mobility and independence.
“They are coming in when the complication of diabetes reaches a stage that the only option for our surgeons is to either amputate where the disease has progressed to. So that is what we continue to see here in the hospital here in the north. And our general advice to people out there in the community: if you know that you’ve got diabetes complications, if you know you have diabetes, please seek medical care urgently and follow the advice from your medical doctors.”
Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Charan Jeath Singh says the programme offers amputees greater freedom and independence, allowing them to move around more easily and carry out daily activities.
Indian High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta says the first phase of the camp in Suva has already provided around 238 prosthetic limbs since it began on October 6.
The Labasa camp will run until October 31, with around 130 beneficiaries expected to receive prosthetic support.
The initiative aims to improve access to specialised assistance for amputees, including those in rural and maritime communities, helping them regain mobility and improve their quality of life.
