A call has been made for a reduction of tariffs on diabetes drugs considering the stress diabetic patients are going through to buy their prescribed drugs.
The call was made by a Consultant Endocrinologist, Dr Bathnna Sule while speaking during the 2019 World Diabetes Day celebration organised by the Bauchi state chapter of Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN) saying that there is the need to integrate Diabetes care into National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Bathnna Sule added that “The burden of Diabetes treatment on Nigeria is fake drugs which have led to increased complications leaving many with amputation”.
The consultant who spoke on the theme ‘Diabetes and Family’ said that the family has a critical role to play in the prevention and management of the disease stressing that reducing family risk of the disease starts from the home and thus families must eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and avoid cigarettes and alcohol.
“Management of the disease requires daily, regular monitoring a healthy lifestyle and ongoing education” declaring that delay in diagnosis and treatment, socio-economic conditions and personal lifestyle are risks to diabetes.
The Consultant who is the Bauchi State Coordinator of DAN called for regular diabetes screening.
While responding to a call for legislation on diabetes drugs subsidy, Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman pledge to look into the issue.
He said that “The increase in the number of people with the disease is worrisome and needs urgent action, even my wife is diabetic and I know how expensive it is to maintain a diabetic patient “.
The celebration witnessed free screening and other advice on how to manage the disease to avoid degeneration that can lead to sudden death.
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