From Awareness to Action: Dr. Ahmad Shahzad’s Holistic Approach to Diabetes

As diabetes emerges as one of the foremost health challenges in a country, Dr. Ahmad Shahzad’s leadership and vision stands out. Having devoted his life to Pakistan’s diabetes care, Dr. Ahmad Shahzad along with Dr. Ijaz Anwar and our team and our pattern Dr. Amir Shaukat (Pro Vice Chancellor of Faisalabad Medical University) tries to shift the care paradigm in Pakistan, especially in Faisalabad and its periphery with the determination to raise the diabetes awareness, education and care in overlooked population segments.

Dr. Shahzad is spearheading efforts to close the gap between diagnosis, education, and comprehensive treatment as the founder of the Lyallpur Diabetes Foundation (LDF), particularly for individuals without access to high-quality healthcare.

Dr. Ahmad Shahzad: A Highly Qualified Medical Professional

A wide range of remarkable medical credentials that demonstrate Dr. Ahmad's breadth of expertise and commitment to lifelong learning are brought to the table. Among his qualifications are:

• MBBS
• MCPS (Pakistan)
• Diploma in Diabetes (BMU)
• RMDC (Pakistan)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (PIMS)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Ultrasound (BI, Canada)

As a Consultant Diabetologist, he currently treats patients with diabetes holistically, addressing not only blood sugar levels but also associated issues such liver and gastrointestinal health, diagnostic imaging, and managing chronic diseases.

Raising the Standard for Diabetes Management

He has spent more than a decade actively promoting diabetes education and awareness, and as a result, he is well-known in the medical community. He attends most national and international medical conferences both as a lecturer and as a student. His multidisciplinary collaboration with the Primary Care Diabetes Association showcases his efforts to inspire general practitioners and to foster interest in specialized diabetes care.

The Lyallpur Diabetes Foundation: A Movement for Change

Under the leadership of Dr. Ahmad Shahzad, The Lyallpur Diabetes Foundation has emerged as a prominent welfare organization in Faisalabad, working towards increasing healthcare awareness while providing useable or free diabetes management services. Informing practitioners and patients about the importance of early identification and treatment is the goal of this foundation which operates as a registered non-profit organization.

Addressing Pre-Diabetes Before It Becomes Diabetes

One of the areas that he concentrates on is pre-diabetes, signifying an elevation in blood glucose levels that has yet to reach the diabetic range. Pre-diabetes can easily be reversed with the correct changes to one’s lifestyle yet remains undiagnosed often. Understanding this, LDF deals with early detection and screening drives that empower individuals to recognize negative risk factors like inadequate physical activity, unhealthy eating habits, and even family history.

These are tailored towards averting full-blown diabetes and they are very commonly conducted at the level of schools, universities and even the workplaces so diabetes medicine becomes integrated into the everyday life of the community.

Training Future Healthcare Leaders

He has been a proponent of improving the medical curriculum for quite some time now. Dr. Ahmad Shahzad along with his team and with the cooperation of Dr. Amir Shaukat (Pro Vice Chancellor of Faisalabad Medical University) organized several educational programs which inspired numbers of doctors to specialize in diabetology. His lectures and teaching approach stimulate evidence-based practice, paired with empathy and effective communication with patients, in addition to self-development. 

Alongside other institutions, he has organized diabetes awareness conferences in Faisalabad that gather health personnel, researchers, and patients. These conferences aim at exposing the attendees to the fundamental approaches in providing diabetes care, as well as the most modern diagnostic and treatment methods, including medication, lifestyle changes, and other relevant factors.

The Vision: A 300-Bed Welfare Hospital for Holistic Diabetes Care

One of the most pioneering initiatives by Dr. Shahzad, alongside the Lyallpur Diabetes Foundation, is working on is the construction of a 300-bed diabetes-specialized hospital, integrating additional services. This facility will focus on delivering complete multidisciplinary care, managing all major complications of diabetes, such as:

• Diabetic neuropathy
• Retinopathy
• Nephropathy
• Cardiovascular complications
• Mental health challenges
• Nutritional support and education
• Gestational Diabetes
• Dental Care in Diabetes

The modern facility will run on a welfare model which guarantees access for people who truly need it. This is a holistic approach that seeks to cater for the entire mind, body, and spirit of every single patient.

How You Can Support This Lifesaving Mission

Additional public funding, donations, and partnerships are important to support the further development of LDF’s initiatives. Here’s how you can contribute:

·       Help sponsor a diabetes awareness camp or screening

·       Give medical care supplies and testing equipment donations

·       Aid in funding outlines and educator materials for training courses

·       Partners in diabetes hospital build and operational logistics.

·       Donate time or professional services in the realm of medicine and community service.

Support and donations, no matter how small, can make great impacts.

Conclusion: Legacy of Care and Commitment

Being a specialist in the field of diabetes care, Dr. Ahmad Shahzad, as an academician, a director of health policies and a diabetic healthcare consultant, aims to tackle diabetes in Pakistan through a community-focused approach.

He believes that there is no solution for diabetes without proper diabetes education coupled with its necessary advocacy, stating that building informatively structured healthcare systems with a focus on prevention as well as enhanced community enablement is very crucial.

Together with Dr. Shahzad and the Lyallpur Diabetes Foundation, they are a part of this transformative journey—communities that are educated, empowered, and enabled can truly prosper.

For consultation or appointment, you can contact at dr_ahmad_shahzad@yahoo.com.