MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, in a letter sent to the Minister of Health Chris Fearne, is calling on the Government to provide affordable continuous glucose monitors to Type 1 Diabetics who are “in genuine need.”
The MEP said that the letter follows on from a national conference organised in January as part of his “commitment to represent the community of diabetic sufferers in Malta.”
MEP Zammit Dimech explained that, although the larger part of this community is made up of Type 2 diabetics, there is nevertheless a considerable number of patients suffering from Type 1 diabetes. As a result this merits the attention of the political class.
He went on to say that, during the past weeks and months, several Type 1 diabetics have contacted him to express their concern at the “great number of times they would have to extract blood in order to monitor their blood glucose level.”
In turn, this not only results in continuous pain but may prejudice their healthcare over the long term, said the MEP.
MEP Zammit Dimech concluded by saying that making these devices affordable to Type 1 diabetics, especially families with children who are diabetics, will undoubtedly give better care and results in pursuit of the aims sought to be achieved by the National Strategy for Diabetes.