Young diabetics 'marginalised' by schools

Young diabetes sufferers are being marginalised due to the way their condition is dealt with by school authorities, the president of the Maltese Diabetes Association, Anna Zammit McKeon, claimed yesterday.

Some of the children, she said, were not being allowed to go on outings organised by the school unless one of their parents was present.

In a number of schools the children have to go to the head's office simply to check their glucose levels and take insulin, something that was condemned by Ms Zammit McKeon.

Moreover, there have been cases when a child was suffering from hypoglycaemia (low sugar levels) and teachers simply called his parents to pick him up.

"We are not expecting them to inject a child with insulin, but sometimes all the child needs is a soft drink," she said.

The association has offered to go to schools to speak to teachers about diabetes.

Speaking during a press conference on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, Ms Zammit McKeon stressed the importance of removing this stigma that surrounds diabetes.

"Why does somebody having dinner in a restaurant have to go to the bathroom to take insulin?"

Both Ms Zammit McKeon and Stephen Fava, the head of the Diabetes Clinic, agreed that the level of treatment of diabetes in Malta is high with all sufferers entitled to free medication and treatment. However, Ms Zammit McKeon said, patients are faced with long waits to see a specialist, with some being given appointments in 10 months' time. The underlying message was that diabetics can live a normal life but lack of knowledge can lead to discrimination.

Referring to the medical side, Dr Fava said diabetes can become serious if left untreated and that was why regular check ups and self monitoring of glucose levels was imperative.

"Because it's so common some think it's not very serious, but diabetes can lead to serious complications."

He said one of the problems leading to diabetes stemmed from the local diet, with several people having unhealthy attitudes and eating a lot of junk food.

"Even non-sufferers need to be careful and steer away from fast food," he said.

He stressed the importance of tackling the type of food available in school tuck shops.

It is estimated that 10 per cent of the local population suffers from diabetes.