800 Dinars a Month for Treatment: Shortage of Diabetes Medicines Deepens Patients’ Hardship
LIBYA – Dania Abu Shraida, head of the endocrinology unit at Mitiga Hospital, said most hospitals and specialised centres lack diabetes medicines, describing the situation as critical despite repeated appeals.
No Pens or Vials
Speaking exclusively to the Abaad platform, Abu Shraida said insulin pens have been unavailable at Mitiga Hospital for nearly a year, while vials have not been available since last Ramadan.
Steep Prices and Risks of Smuggled Insulin
She warned of patients’ hardship between the steep prices of medicines in private pharmacies on one hand, and the consequences of using smuggled insulin that lacks efficacy on the other.
Abu Shraida noted cases that require insulin worth 800 dinars a month, stressing that cases of what is known as ketoacidosis have spread widely among children and young people because of the absence of medicines.
