Updated Tuesday 11am
Most children who needed insulin injections during school hours did not need a learning support assistant assigned to them at school, the president of the Malta Diabetes Association has said.
Chris Delicata said in Parliament on Monday that diabetic children were perfectly capable of administering their own medicine, and did not suffer from any learning disabilities as a result of their condition.
His call was backed by Opposition MP Claudette Buttigieg who described the practice as a waste of resources which could be better deployed elsewhere.
However, the need for schools to have properly staffed and up-to-date clinics ready to respond to health emergencies was emphasised.
Mr Delicata also said a national diabetes screening programme, similar to that already introduced for breast and colon cancer, was necessary to ensure that as many cases of diabetes as possible were prevented.
He expressed his organisation’s satisfaction at the fact that a Working Group on Diabetes had been established within the House for the second legislature running.
He also commented positively on various initiatives adopted by the Government while pointing out where improvements were necessary. The Strategy on Diabetes introduced a few years prior had been an important step forward, but now needed to be updated in order to take stock of new realities.
Association stresses complementary role of LSAs
Mr Delicata on Tuesday issued a clarification, saying that he had questioned why children need a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to monitor the
latter when checking their sugar levels or taking insulin.
"I spoke about the need for students to be given more independence when injecting insulin only if they are certified by medical consultants that they are capable of administering insulin according to their needs," he said.
Mr Delicata also highlighted the importance of having medical personnel always be available at schools. During a recent meeting with Health Minister Chris Fearne the association had stressed the importance of all schools being equipped with a clinic in case of any health emergencies including diabetes related ones.
The emphasis of an LSA's role was educational and having schools and their staff adequately trained to handle children or students with diabetes, could allow LSA resources to be better utilised, he explained.