According to Harbuwono, people should not fast if their blood sugar level is below 70 and should take drugs if the blood sugar level is too high.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated that diabetic patients can still carry out fasting as long as they can arrange the time to take medication and check their health routinely.

"Diabetic patients can still fast by adjusting the medication consumption, for example, drugs that lower blood sugar that are taken in the morning can now be taken at the time of breaking the fast," Harbuwono stated here on Wednesday.

He explained that diabetics need to see the doctor regularly to determine whether they can continue to fast.

The deputy minister advised diabetic people to not take their blood sugar measurements too frequently during fasting, but if the level drops drastically, then fasting must be stopped.

"During fasting, measuring blood sugar does not need to be too frequent. For example, if you consume blood sugar-lowering drugs, you can check at 10 a.m., 1 a.m. in the afternoon, and 5 p.m. in the afternoon," he explained.

According to Harbuwono, people should not fast if their blood sugar level is below 70 and should take drugs if the blood sugar level is too high.

"People, with blood sugar below 70, should not be fasting, and if it is too high, you have to go to the doctor to check the drug dose," he added.

He also noted that doctors can determine which patients can fast during Ramadan.

Diabetic patients, with blood sugar levels of more than 300 or having insulin injected more than once, should not fast, he added.

"People having severe comorbidities, such as kidney disease and heart disease, should not be fasting. For diabetics, if it is controlled, the severity is moderate, and the medicine (consumption) is adjusted, then they can fast," Harbuwono remarked.

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Translator: Lintang P, Kenzu
Editor: Arie Novarina
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