Clinic in Australia’s Queensland Helping Diabetic Muslims Safely Fast in Ramadan
Anwar Deen has avoided fasting during Ramadan since arriving in Australia from Pakistan almost two decades ago, based on medical advice.
But this year the 66-year-old, who has type 2 diabetes, hopes to join other Muslims in abstaining from eating, drinking, and taking medication from dawn to sunset during the month-long religious and cultural ritual.
Muslims fast during daylight hours for the entire month of Ramadan. Anwar will attempt to join them every Friday — a holy day in Islam — as an expression of her faith.
She's been attending a pilot Diabetes Ramadan Preparation Clinic in Logan, south of Brisbane, to help her prepare to fast — one of the five pillars of Islam — and to do so safely.
The Queensland Health clinic is believed to be an Australian first.
Anwar, who has lived in Australia since 2006, is one of more than 13,000 Muslim residents in the Logan region, hundreds of whom live with diabetes.
She lives in Logan Central, where 8.6 per cent of the population has diabetes – significantly higher than the 5.4 per cent Queensland average, according to the Australian Diabetes Map.
'I am fasting, I am happy'
After years of fasting during Ramadan in Pakistan, Anwar followed doctor's orders reluctantly after she arrived in Australia.
"For me, no fasting, I am not happy," Anwar said after cooking up a batch of aromatic potato samosas, one of the dishes eaten to break the fast at sunset during Ramadan.
Her stepdaughter Bebe Ahmad said fasting was a way of pleasing God by "showing Him that we know what it's like for the people who are less fortunate than us, how they starve and don't have any water".
"We can feel how they're feeling, but we are so lucky that we can break the fast later," she said.
Director of the Slacks Creek Mosque Imam Akram Buksh said one of the frequently asked questions of Islamic religious leaders during Ramadan is: "Am I able to fast?"
"Our Quran clearly mentions that generally, if a person is sick or unable to fast due to health reasons, that is one of the conditions not to fast," he said.
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"The common answer that we give them is, 'Go to the professionals, go to those people that have knowledge regarding your circumstance and whatever they advise, follow'.
"If the doctor says that fasting is no good for you, then you should not fast. But if the doctors say that, 'You know what, we can adjust this or that, your medication, and you're in the safe zone, it's okay to fast'."
Thought to be an Australian first
Clinical lead at the Ramadan preparation clinic, endocrinologist Kathryn Berkman, said she hoped with the right preparation, almost all patients with diabetes would be able to fast safely during the holy month.
"However, there are certain circumstances that fasting may still pose risks," Dr Berkman said.
“For example, a patient … who has quite unstable or unpredictable blood sugar control.
"Anwar has quite stable control of her diabetes, so I am hopeful with certain adjustments to her medications, that she will be able to fast safely."
She said the Ramadan clinic, which is part of the Logan Endocrine and Diabetes Services (LEADS), was established this year to provide support to patients of a city regarded as a culturally diverse catchment.
"As far as I know, this is the first Australian-based dedicated clinic to provide this service," Dr Berkman said.
Clinic can help people across Queensland
LEADS clinical director Gaurav Puri said while the Ramadan clinic had been developed for the Logan area, telemedicine appointments could be made for Muslims in other parts of Queensland.
"We would like to ideally see them before they start the fasting period to understand what treatment they are on and start planning the fasting period for them," Dr Puri said.
"During the fasting, we'll continue to monitor and assist them. We can do those through face-to-face clinics. We can do that through phone calls, we can do it through telehealth clinics.
"We have to basically make the treatment and the healthcare work for the lifestyle of our patients."
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Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, whose electorate of Waterford takes in a large part of Logan, said it was important for hospitals to provide culturally appropriate care so patients' spiritual wellbeing was considered alongside their physical health.
"This is a Queensland first, making sure that our community members of Muslim faith who want to take part in what is a very important month get the very best healthcare advice," Fentiman said.
"I love it when Logan leads the way."
Ramadan is held on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar — the timing is based on the phases of the moon.
It begins at the sighting of the new crescent moon – expected to be on March 10 — and will continue until sundown on April 9. Fasting will start at dawn on March 11.
Muslims with diabetes wanting to attend the Logan clinic can ask for a referral from a general practitioner.
Source: abc.net.au
