By Benjie de Ubago
With the growing number of Filipinos affected by diabetes, a group of Australian health care professionals, members of the Filipino community and civic minded individuals bonded together to form the Filipino Australian Diabetes Support Network (FADSN). The group is also supported by Diabetes NSW & ACT and Western Sydney Diabetes.
The support group was initiated in 2020 with the aim of providing the community advice on prevention, early detection and support for those suffering from the debilitating disease of diabetes. Statistics show an increasing number of diabetic cases among the younger generation and prevention is of utmost importance. It is best to arrest the symptoms on the onset.
The group provides healthy living principles and lifestyle alternatives starting with their dietary choices. Filipino dishes served with rice, while delicious, are rich in carbohydrates. The mouth-watering desserts are rich in sugar. The group stresses the need to include fruits and vegetables in everyone’s daily food intake, drink lots of water and a daily exercise routine to keep diabetes at bay. The group does not provide consultations and diagnosis. The group also conducts online health and wellbeing workshops.
Leading the Filipino Australian Diabetes Support Network is the brilliant but totally unassuming Dr. Rona Francisco (FRACP), an Endocrinologist – a medical specialist treating people with a range of conditions such as diabetes, infertility, and osteoporosis, menopausal and thyroid problems. When hormones are raging, it is she you’d want to see! According to Dr. Rona, “this was a personal choice of specialization as I saw how many people were affected by diabetes.” “ Hopefully, we are able to positively impact a lot of people,” she adds.
For most doctors, the road to being a fully license medical practitioner is a long and a tedious journey. Although reserved and soft spoken, Dr. Rona is tenacious. She completed a Bachelor Medical Science with 1st class honours from University of NSW. Then she proceeded to complete her Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery from the University of Sydney.
She persevered with her years of medical training. She took her residency and trained in general medicine, first at Nepean Hospital, then at Concord Hospital. She then completed a 3-year Endocrinology specialist training at Blacktown and Liverpool Hospitals. She obtained her Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) in January 2021and is now a fully qualified Endocrinologist.
In addition to her voluntary role with the Diabetes group, she juggles a practice in Gosford, consults at Blacktown Hospital, and teaches at Macquarie University. She has also taken on the role of secretary for the Philippine Australian Medical Association (PAMA). All that while caring for her two children.
And closest to her heart is helping fight Diabetes.
For more healthy tips, follow the Filipino Australian Diabetes Support Network on facebook.
16 March 2022
