Juvenile Diabetes

Diabetes is very common among our population requiring dieting and rigorous attention which for many diabetics is very hard let alone in the case of juvenile diabetics where parents have an added hurdle to explain to their children why they can not have chocolate like their schoolmates or why they have to inject insulin regularly.

I have a friend whose daughter I diabetic and considering what this little girl has to go through day by day is very hearth straining. Also facilities in Gozo are very limited compared to those offered in Malta and this clearly transpired from two recent parliamentary questions I made one to the Health Ministry and the other to the Gozo Minister.

Gozitan juvenile diabetics do not have the facility to be visited by a specialist on Saturday so as not to miss school – in Malta this is standard. Needles furnished are for adults, which are quite thick and inadequate for children. Sticks for testing furnished are insufficient and often expired. There is no child psychologist to help child and family to handle such strenuous situation.

Someone used to sing “we are the world we are the children” Gozitan juvenile diabetics are part of this world too and deserve to be treated well, at least just as well as the children treated in St. Luke’s