By D, KNA
The government has been urged to provide diabetes medication in grassroots health facilities in Homa Bay County to ease the management of the disease.
Ismael Suleiman, a diabetes advocate, said shortage of the drugs in dispensaries and local health centers was a setback to those living with the condition.
He said that the patients have to incur huge expenses in acquiring the drugs.
The patients expressed the sentiments at Marindi Level Four Hospital in Homa Bay Sub-County during a celebration to mark the World Diabetes Day.
Suleiman noted that lack of diabetes drugs in local health facilities forces patients to rely on the support of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) that provides the drugs free of charge.
However, the MSF provides the drugs at Nyalkinyi Health Center and Marindi Level Four Hospital which favours patients who live around the health facilities.
Those who hail from other sub-counties find it difficult to access the drugs because they have to spend a lot of money to travel to one of the two facilities.
Martha Aduda, a diabetes patient from Rangwe Sub-County, said she has to spend more than Sh600 in a month to receive the drugs from MSF at Nyalkinyi Health Center.
“We are grateful to MSF for giving us diabetes drugs free of charge. We are appealing to the county department of health to support the initiative by providing us with the drugs at our nearest health facilities,” Aduda said.
She said lack of a diabetes drugs in local public health facilities puts patients’ health at risk due to the difficult economic situation.
“Getting diabetes drugs in local public health facilities is a serious challenge to many patients in our county. Those who live far from Nyalkinyi and Marindi are grappling with huge expenses on transport,” Aduda said.
The MSF Medical Team Leader George Wambugu urged the county government to allocate more funds in supporting treatment of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
He said the MSF is committed to ensuring that diabetes patients get proper medication at the two health facilities where they operate.
During the event, MSF introduced the use of insulin pen to treat diabetic patients in the two health facilities. The insulin pen is used by patients with diabetes type one.
The insulin pen is more accurate in dosage than the conventional use of a vial.
“Insulin pen is more efficient and we have positive feedback from patients who have used it,” Wambugu said.