Over 200 patients to receive free insulin pumps

Cabinet has recently approved the Health Ministry’s proposal to roll out free insulin pumps for Type 1 diabetes patients over the coming months.

These pumps will be given for free to patients as part of the national health system and the service will be rolled out in a phased approach.

Insulin pumps will first be offered to patients aged between two years and 18 years, covering around 225 patients, the Health Ministry said.

Government is already offering glucose monitors to all diabetes type-1 patients and monitors are also being distributed to pregnant women who develop diabetes and patients who undergo pancreas operations or pancreases-related deficiencies.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the insulin pumps rollout, the ministry is setting up the necessary infrastructure and services to give patients and their relatives support to use these pumps safely.

These preparations include a team of healthcare professionals specialised in diabetes who will be trained to man an insulin pump clinic within Mater Dei Hospital and a 24x7 telephone line.

Benefits leading to a more normal life

According to OECD health statistics, in 2020, Malta had the third highest age-sex standardised rate of avoidable hospital admissions due to diabetes and its complications.

The benefits provided with these pumps, the ministry said, include reducing life-threatening diabetic emergencies and long-term complications.

“This enhances quality of life, lowers hospital admissions, reduces healthcare costs, supports better pregnancy outcomes, and decreases diabetes-related mortality,” the ministry said. It added: “These pumps will enable these patients to lead a normal life, allowing young patients to take part in sports, even at professional level, and reducing the stigmatisation and marginalisation in schools since students will not have to stop from lessons to go inject their insulin.”

The initiative will also include patients with brittle Type 3c diabetes such as pancreatic cancer and pancreatic operations, that are prone to vicious variations in their glycaemie levels with the range going all the way up to near-life-threatening escalations in a matter of minutes. Pump function is expected to reduce, if not correct these variations.