Test sticks to be provided to all diabetes patients, Health Minister announces

The government will look to roll out test sticks and metres that will monitor the blood sugar levels of diabetes patients as part of the 2015 National Diabetes Strategy, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced today.

“The main priority in tackling diabetes is allowing patients to monitor and control their blood glucose level,” Fearne said, adding that the plan was to first give the tools to Type 1 diabetes patients, and eventually to Type 2 diabetes patients who take insulin.

The minister stated that through a project which began in 2016, 16 million sticks per year began to be issued to 30,000 diabetes patients, amounting to a cost of €1 million per year. 

This initiative was now extended to cover all diabetic patients – around 22,000 – who will now be entitled to one test stick per day.

“This initiative will help to minimise complications, leading to a future investment that will take off the burden off the helath sector further down the line,” Fearne said.

Letters to diabetes patients will be issued to Marsa, Hamrun and Valletta residents, informing them on how to acquire the prescription sticks and metres from the pharmacy of their choice. The letters will then be issued accordingly in different regions in Malta.