Large decrease in diabetes testing during Gauteng lockdown

20 August 2020

There has been a large decrease in screening and testing of diabetic patients in Gauteng public hospitals and clinics because of the Covid-19 lockdown, with 344 487 fewer patients from March to June compared to the same period last year.

This is revealed by Acting Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Mamabolo, 583 900 patients were screened and tested for diabetes at public health facilities from March to June this year compared to 928 387 patients for this period last year, which is a 37% decrease.

As a result of this testing, 10 405 patients were diagnosed and started on treatment compared to 18 085 patients last year, a drop of 7680 patients.

There was also a decrease of 52 902 diabetic tests for follow-ups to monitor sugar levels for diagnosed diabetic patients compared to last year.

The reasons for the decrease are given as follows:

Patients were given 3-6 months’ supply to minimize treatment visits to the facilities.

A general decline in the health care utilization rate due to the corona virus pandemic.

Some facilities were shut down for decontamination when there were positive cases.

Depletion of health care workers due to some staff testing positive or being contacts of the positive cases.

Diabetes is a major killer in South Africa, accounting for about 90 000 deaths every year, and also greatly increases the risk of death from Covid-19.

There are more than a million diabetes patients in Gauteng, so it is important that they are properly treated as well as shielded from situations where they can pick up the corona virus.

Special measures will be needed to decrease the screening and testing backlogs for diabetes as our health facilities become less threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Issued byJack Bloom,DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 20 August 2020