Homa Bay diabetes patients want drugs closer to them

Diabetes  patients during a sensitisation programme at Marindi health facility in Homa Bay town last week /ROBERT OMOLLO

Diabetic patients in Homa Bay have urged the county government to provide drugs at village-level health public facilities to enhance disease management.

The patients argue that the shortage of drugs in their nearest health facilities such as dispensaries and health centres is inconveniencing them, forcing many patients to incur huge expenses in acquiring the drugs.

The patients said they now rely on the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) which provides the medication for free.

"The MSF provides the drugs at two health facilities— Nyalkinyi Health Centre and Marindi Level Four Hospital in Homa Bay subcounty only. The situation favours patients who live around the health facilities,” Martha Aduda said.

Speaking at Marindi Level Four Hospital during a celebration to mark the World Diabetes Day, Aduda said those from other subcounties find it difficult to access the drugs because they have to spend a lot of money on travel to one of the two facilities.

Aduda, a patient from Rangwe, spends more than Sh600 a month to get the drugs from MSF at Nyalkinyi Health Centre.

“We are appealing to the county department of health to support us by providing the drugs at our nearest health facilities. This will help us access them with ease," she said.

According to Ismael Suleiman, a diabetes advocate, lack of the drugs in local public health facilities puts patients’ health at risk.

He said the difficult economic situation makes it even harder for diabetic patients to afford the drugs.

“Getting diabetes drugs in local public health facilities is a challenge to many patients in our county. Those who live around the two facilities where MSF gives drugs are okay. But those who live in other subcounties spend a lot on bus fare thus denying them access the drugs,” Suleiman said.

The MSF Medical team leader George Wambugu urged the county government to allocate more funds to support treatment of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“We are urging the county government to invest more on NCDs treatment,” Wambugu said.

He said the MSF is committed to ensuring diabetes patients get proper medication at the two health facilities where they operate.

During the event, MSF introduced the use of insulin pen to treat diabetic patients in the two health facilities. The pen is used by patients with diabetes type one and involves the use of a tiny needle for injection. It is more accurate in dosage than the conventional use of a vial.

“Our patients with diabetes type one now using the insulin pen but those with type two are still using the vial. Insulin pen is more efficient and we have positive feedback from patients who have used it,” Wambugu said.