Doctors and nurses in neighborhood health centers need comprehensive training on diabetes diagnosis and treatment, Shanghai local medical experts said at the start of the national health authority's diabetes training program.

The Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute will provide education and training for 16,000 domestic medical professionals over the next five years. Those finishing training will receive certificates from China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Medical Association.

"In China, very few doctors and nurses serving in grassroots hospitals have undergone professional training on diabetes recognition and therapy," said Dr Li Wenjun from Shanghai No. 10 People's Hospital. "We have received many patients, who suffered deterioration or misdiagnosis at community-based hospitals. Some irregular treatments resulted in severe consequences."

Experts said most grassroots nurses never received training on diabetes care and didn't know how to give proper advice on diabetes prevention and control.

In the new diabetes institute, the fourth launched by Johnson & Johnson after those in the United States, Japan and France, trainees can take free courses on the latest advances in diabetes management.

(Shanghai Daily July 16, 2008)