CAMAGÜEY. - On June 30, the use of the Heberprot-P will celebrate its 10th anniversary, counting, of course, its previous clinical trials in the country. Camagüey City, and specifically the University Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech was one of the healthcare institutions selected for the trials back then and reported very positive outcomes.

Statistics from theCentre for Genetic Engineeringand Biotechnology (GIGB, Spanish acronym) in this city gather that around 4000 people from Camagüey received the benefits of the Cuban product, one of a kind in the world according to the information offered by its promoters, MSc Franklin Fuentes Aguilar and licentiate Lesvia Calzada Aguilera, while the number of people from all over the country that received the benefits of the treatment is over 67 810.

To this date, Camagüey uses the drug in the hundred percent of the forecast patients, taking into account the percentage that have the possibility to suffer foot ulcers among the more than 48 690 diabetics in Camagüey.

The Diabetic Foot Ulcer Integral Attention Programme founded in 2007 is now practiced in 31 clinical offices in the province, except for the ones in the municipality of Najasa, in spite of the drug´s high production costs and daily treatment costs. The treatment with Heberprot-P consists in 24 intra-lesion injections, but, once the lesions disappear, the treatment is suspended regardless of the number of doses received. The treatment is practiced for free in everyone who needs it, always trying to heal the wound without the need of amputating the inferior limbs.

The Primary Health Care (APS, Spanish acronym) plays a major role in detecting the patients with a complex ulcer, even when it is not completely developed, and avoiding it through prophylactic measures given by a multitask work team that includes doctors specialized in endocrinology, angiology and heart surgery, doctors trained in diabetes, licentiates in podiatry, psychology and nutrition, and other specialists if necessary.

Other than educating and promoting healthcare among those who suffer from diabetes mellitus, this group of professionals determines how and when to start the treatment because they must have an appropriate metabolic control, to be free of infections in the lesions and to follow the proper diet.

This high quality product prescribed for the treatment of patients suffering from Diabetic Foot Ulcers, is being studied regarding its impact and, logically, its effect on major amputations of the inferior limbs. It is currently in a fourth stage and involves, once again, the University Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech, among others in the country.

Specialists claim that the 15% of the diabetics present a foot ulcer at some point in their lives, and at the same time, a 15% of them require amputation.

 Translated by Elianna Diaz Mendieta/ 3rd year English Language student