This article is from page 10 of the 2011-11-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
AN INITIATIVE in which parents of children in Clare with diabetes campaigned for better services has been hailed a success.
As part of the drive, 93 people in Clare sent 555 letters to their TDs requesting support for Diabetes Action’s campaign to improve services for children with diabetes.
It is estimated that between 90 and 100 children in Clare have Type 1 diabetes. Those children are referred to Galway or Limerick for treatment, while several are sent to Dublin.
In May of this year, a national campaign was launched in an effort to improve support for children with diabetes and the Clare branch played an integral role in this.
The services in Galway and Limerick are under-resourced, according to those behind the campaign.
“The HSE and the Department of Health have committed to six things and we will revisit it in six months’ time,” said the secretary of the Clare branch of Diabetes Ireland, Gráinne Flynn.
Among those six initiatives include the establishment of a policy group with a representative from the Diabetes Federation of Ireland to address pediatric diabetes care; to standardise hospital diabetes care across the country and to work on prevention and public health policy to prevent and aid early detection of diabetes in young children and adolescents.
“We are very happy with the outcome. Things take so long to come to the patient. We are delighted that they are making a commitment and we want them to follow through on it,” said Gráinne.
Meanwhile, to mark World Diabetes Day this weekend, Diabetes Ireland is bringing the National Diabetes Health Awareness Exhibition to the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on Sunday, November 13, from 12 noon to 5pm.
“It is open to people with diabetes in Clare. A few of us will travel to it. Pharmaceutical companies will have exhibitions there so we will be able to try out new products.
“There will be free consultations with dietitians, paediatrists and diabetes specialists. Some people are just curious about their own health and don’t have their own checks often so this will be an ideal opportunity to have it all in the one place,” said Gráinne.
“It is estimated there are 5,000 people in Clare with diabetes. It’s five per cent of the population. Type 2 diabetes is the more prevalent form. With Type 2, the symptoms only show up very slowly after a long period of time. There would be a high percentage of people who would have it and not know it.”.
World Diabetes Day, on November 14 every year, has grown to become a globally-celebrated event to increase awareness about diabetes.
For more information about the National Diabetes Health Awareness Exhibition, phone 1850 909 909 or email info@diabetes.ie.