Free medical check-up for Filipinos in Dubai

Filipino expatriates who are not covered by their company’s medical insurance can take advantage of free medical consultations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on November 11.Prime Medical Centre (PMC) will be holding free medical check-ups to Filipinos from 11am to 4pm at its multi-specialty branches in Jumeirah, Bur Dubai and Deira in Dubai and Al Falah Street in Abu Dhabi in celebration of the World Diabetes Day on November 14.“The problem of diabetes among Filipinos in the UAE in general is alarming. Most patients have high blood sugar and are in need early intervention,” Dr Daffodils Guevarra, a physician at PMC, told Gulf News.The key to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes is to diagnose and treat it early on to prevent complications or to stop borderline diabetes from developing into full-blown diabetes, she said.The problem with some Filipinos, the physician noted, is that very few of them would go for a medical check-up, or if they do, most times it would always be too late.“Some would come to me complaining of dizziness. But when I would have their blood sugar checked, they would already be borderline diabetics,” she said. “Around 30-40% of the Filipino patients that I see daily are borderline diabetics.”According to the World Health Organization, the UAE ranks second in terms of the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world. Around the world, more than 220 million people have diabetes. The number is projected to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost eight out of 10 deaths caused by diabetes happen in low- to middle-income countries. The four branches of PMC will provide free consultation with Filipino physicians and other specialists. Dental check-up, blood sugar tests, and Hb1Ac which is a specific blood test for diabetes, will also be made available.