When the remedy aggravates the effects of the disease, it is synonymous that something is not being carried out correctly in the treatment of a pathology.
This is precisely the case of poor quality needles that are distributed among patients with diabetes of each autonomous community for insulin administration.
The Spanish Diabetes Federation (FEDE) has denounced it for years, but health administrations have not yet solved the problem.
Radiography of the abdomen of a patient with remains of poor quality needles:
"The problem is that the elections are every four years, and politicians do not look beyond that space of time" the first vice president of this patient group, Aureliano Ruiz exposes, in statements to consalud.es, that many patients lookForced to use “poor quality” needles that, even often, break falling inside the patient's abdomen.In addition, they warn of the pain they cause during use.
Currently, the Ministry of Health of each Autonomous Community establishes contests for the purchase or acquisition of this type of health products.Patients have long denounced these procedures "seek an economic savings effect," although they say from Fede, "it is very small."
"If quality needles were bought throughout Spain, only between 125,000 and 150,000 euros more a year would be spent," says Aureliano Ruiz, while recalling that in the entire national territory there are approximately six million people with diabetes, of theWhich 20% use needles for insulin administration four or five times a day.In addition, he adds, 99.9% of the children suffering from the disease have type 1 diabetes, so they must use these health products.
Cantabria has terminated the contract with the company that supplied the needles to the Public Health System The president of Fede supposes “that the problem is that the elections are every four years, and politicians do not look beyond that space of time without realizing that, today, this is a life disease. ”In fact, they consider that the problem has an easy solution, since some autonomies are reacting for the benefit of patients.
”Senior and Second” Patients
Precisely this Monday, the Cantabrian Health Service (SCS) has announced the termination of the contract with the company that provided the needles used by patients with diabetes of this Autonomous Community, which there “the problem has been resolved”, they celebrate fromFede.On the contrary, there are many communities where this has not yet been achieved, as is the case of Galicia, where "they have been fighting and there is no way," says Aureliano Ruiz.
In other autonomous communities such as Aragon, Madrid or Andalusia the situation is more optimistic.In the first one the problem of poor quality needles persists, but at least negotiations with the Ministry of Health are being maintained and "it seems that it will go on the right track," says Ruiz.
In the case of Madrid, only about 20% of needles cause problems for patients.For their part, in Andalusia, they stand out from Fede, carry out a pilot program in the provinces of Malaga and Seville where they allow the patient to access the needles in the pharmacies themselves, which benefits the supply of those of higher quality.
Cospedal salary information based on this article 2010: Link
