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With Ramadan fast approaching, the Barts Health Diabetes Care Centre is holding a series of advice sessions to encourage safe fasting across Tower Hamlets. The main risk for anyone who fasts is hypoglycaemia (or “hypo” for short), which is when people experience an abnormally low level of blood sugar. Although this can quickly be reversed (by eating or drinking), the person who is hypo can become confused, which may stop them from taking action to reverse the hypo in its early stages. If the hypo state is not treated, the person can drift into a coma. Fortunately, this can also be reversed quickly by medical staff, but it is clearly best to avoid the problem getting to this stage.
The special Ramadan and diabetes sessions will be led by a diabetes specialist nurse and education worker, offering advice to patients in both Bengali and English. There will also be the opportunity to have a one-to-one session with a diabetes specialist nurse who can assess your diabetes medication and adjust it if necessary for the month of Ramadan.
The Ramadan and diabetes advice sessions will be held on the following dates.
Friday, 20th June, 2-4pm
Island Health, 145 East Ferry Road, E14 BQ
Tuesday, 24th June, 2-4pm
Whitechapel Health Centre, 44-56 Hessel Street, E1 2LP
Wednesday, 25th June, 10am-12noon
Harford Health Centre, 79 Ben Jonson Road, E1 4SA
Thursday, 26th June, 2-4pm
East London Mosque, 46 Whitechapel Road, E1 1JX
•For further information about the advice sessions, contact the Diabetes Care Centre on 020-8223 8836.
