Saint Lucia insurance companies urged to do more in the fight against diabetes

President of the St. Lucia Diabetes and Hypertension Association  Andrew Felix has challenged insurance companyies in Saint Lucia, and throughout the Caribbean, to do more in the fight against diabetes.

Felix Stated that insurance companies should understand that it is more important for clients to make referrals than make claims. "Insurance companies.... one of the things they have to understand is: wouldn't they rather have clients coming to them talking about referrals, making payments, or would they rather have clients coming to them to make claims?" Felix was quoted as saying by a Ministry of Health press release.

"they need to just that and understand the importance of that, because we are here to reduce diabetes and the ecsalating tsunami levels of the rising tibe of diabetes globally," he said.

 Feix statement was made when Massy Stores presented a cheaque of EC $8,000 to his association to Dr. Shana Cyr-Philbert, the non-communicable disease focal point in the Ministry of Health and Wellness.according to the release, diabetes is considered to be lifestyle disease which affects everyone from all walks of life, and that there are certain risk factors which predisposes one to develop the disease.

Dr. Cyr-Philbert said "We're looking at being overweight of obese, smoking, living a very sedentary lifestyle in terms of not exercising. And family history, if say your mum or dad was or is diabetic, you're more prone to becoming diabetic. Not necessarily that you have to be but you're more prone to becoming diabetic."

She said proper nutrition and regular exercise has been proven effective in the prevention and management of diabetes.

Explaining the theme for this year's World Diabetes Day, "Daibetes and Families, "Dr. Cyr-Philbert explained. "What we're looking at is making sure our population is aware of the fact that diabetes is not just the individual's problem but te whole family's problem, and we're even going outside of that.

We're looking at society as being a big family so that everyone needs to help the other person."