Diabetics hit by insulin shortage

By Kikonyogo Ngatya Mulago Hospital is hit by a severe shortage of insulin, drugs for diabetic patients, The New Vision has learnt. Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a chemical that helps the body's tissues absorb glucose (sugar) so that it can be used as a source of energy. The glucose levels build up in the blood and urine, causing excessive urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism. Blurred vision, dramatic weight loss, irritability, weakness and fatigue, and nausea and vomiting are some of the symptoms associated with the disease. To correct this problem, diabetes experts say that patients need to get be injected with insulin drugs to survive. Without an appropriate level of insulin, glucose builds up in the blood because it cannot enter the cells. Twenty percent of the estimated 100,000 diagnosed diabetes patients in the country require the drug for survival, according to Professor Marcel Andrew Otim, a specialist endocrinologist and diabetologist at Mulago Hospital. "Although some patients can depend on other drugs such as glibenglaclamide tablets, under severe stress all diabetic patients need insulin once in a while for survival," he added. The Hospital and Ministry of Health sources say that the increasing number of diabetic patients over the last five years has overwhelmed Government's offer of free insulin to patients. Diabetes is mostly common in adults over 45 years old and in over weight or physically inactive people. People who have an immediate family member with diabetes also have higher chances of getting the disease, says a report on Diabetes by the World Health Organisation says. The Government gets free insulin from AmeriCares, a US based international medical relief agency. Lawrence Kaggwa, the hospital's director has declined to comment on the shortage. Mrs Oteba, the in charge of pharmacy department also refused to discuss the issue. A number of patients said that for the last six months, they had not been getting any insulin from the hospital. Another patient said that in a meeting held on September 27, between the hospital authorities and diabetic patients, the hospital wanted to introduce cost sharing for the drugs. Otim, however, said that there was a general shortage of insulin drugs in the country.