Making diabetes easier to bear for health system

I refer to the letter by Emanuel L. Vella entitled False Economics Over Diabetes Injections (February 14).

The issue on the amount of insulin syringes to be given to persons living with diabetes has been an ongoing one between the Diabetes Association and the health department.

For several years the association has tried to drive the point home and press its case for the increase in the number of syringes given to persons with diabetes. Syringes should only be used once, especially when one considers not only the health aspect but that syringes have to be injected in the rubber end of the phial before being injected into the skin, thereby rendering the needle blunt more quickly. I have to point out that patients on the pen get the required number of needles for their daily use. So I do not see why there should be this discrimination between pen and syringe users.

Another very hot issue is the amount of blood glucose strips which are given to persons living with diabetes. At present only 50 strips are given monthly to patients under 36 years of age. Many patients are feeling the pinch and are unable to regularly monitor their blood sugar level because of monetary issues. Parents of children with diabetes are urged to monitor their children’s blood glucose level at least four times daily with the amount of monitoring increasing in extraordinary circumstances such as sick days, instances of hypoglycaemia/hyperglycaemia, etc.

The argument in favour of good glycaemic control cannot be emphasised enough as in the long term this will lead to lesser complications with the result of less hospitalisation and a reduction in the cost borne by the health system for patients with diabetic complications.

The incidence of diabetes is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. Malta is following suit and every effort should be made by all concerned to ensure patients have the tools in hand to control their condition so that it will not become an added burden on the health department in the years to come.