|
Nation-wide Personal Insulin Pump in Diabetic Children Therapy Program (closed down)
• The Foundation’s statement on the closing of the Insuling Pumps in Diabetic Children Therapy Program
• About the program
• The most important facts and numbers
• How to apply?
• About diabetes
• Let’s get even with diabetes
• Contact information
The WOŚP Foundation’s statement
Due to the new directive of the President of the National Health Fund, the Foundation has decided to provide insulin pumps only for those children whose parents sent applications before the end of 2008.
Following is the letter to the parents of children waiting for WOŚP insulin pumps:
Dear Parents,
we would like to inform that in accordance with the directive no. 106/2008/DSOZ of the President of National Health Fund from November 26, 2008 an insulin pump refund program was started by the National Health Fund.
The WOŚP Foundation has your application for an insulin pump and as for today we are willing to grant your request. Unfortunately, until this day we have not received any guidelines for purchasing a pump for your child from the Ministry of Health or the National Health Fund.
The directive states that the National Health Fund shall buy pumps for children aged 0-18. In order not to duplicate the purchases, the WOŚP Foundation may only assign a pump when the National Health Fund decides not to buy it for whatever reason. We must, however, wait until we know all regulations concerning this problem. For that reason please contact your child’s doctor to obtain a credible information about the chance of being given a pump by the National Health Fund.
It is also dependent on your personal involvement how quick we will be able to help your child. That is why we suggest that you should contact the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, whose help will perhaps cause the aforementioned directive to be put into life sooner. According to the information from the Ombudsman’s Office the applications should contain:
• Full name,
• Address for correspondence,
• Exact information about the problem and arguments to prove that the freedom or law have been violated;
• Necessary documents (copies or certified copies).
The Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection can be contacted via e-mail. The contact form is available on: https://www.rpo.gov.pl/wniosek/index.php?jezyk=0&poz=1
The applications can also be send as a traditional letter to the following address:
Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich
Aleja Solidarności 77
00-090 Warszawa
Until today, the children from the group described above have been given 10 pumps (they have been bought for the Olsztyn center). We are still waiting for doctor’s certificates, which will enable us to buy pumps for children whose applications were sent in 2008.
Because of the situation described above the WOŚP Foundation has decided to shut down the Insulin Pumps in Diabetic Children Therapy Program and not to continue it in the years to come.
back to the top
About the program
The nation-wide Insulin Pumps in Diabetic Children Therapy Program was one of the 4 medical programs run by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. It started in 2001, and during all the years we managed to buy over 3000 pumps (including 290 for pregnant women).
Since the number of children with diabetes is very big, the Foundation could only offer aid to some of them. We have chosen the youngest children, up to 10 years. According to our experts providing pump treatment that early is the best method and brings the best results for the future.
The pumps were made available for free and they were used by one child for many years. Unfortunately, the maintenance of such a pump costs about 500 PLN in a month, while the Ministry of Health is only able to offer a refund of 300 PLN. Thanks to our true involvement we managed to make a change. Today, Poland is the first country in the world where insulin pump treatment is universally used in the treatment of the youngest children.
back to the top
The most important facts and numbers
We have already purchased 2843 personal insulin pumps for children aged 0-10. We have bought 290 pumps for pregnant women. Poland is the first country in the world where insulin pump treatment is universally used in the treatment of the youngest children.
back to the top
Applications to the program
Because of the very big number of children with diabetes only some of them were included in the Foundation’s program. In order to be given a WOŚP pump, a child had to fulfill the following conditions:
Pumps were given to children:
1. Not older than 10. A exception to this rule was made was made for children:
• Who apart from diabetes suffered from another chronic illness.
• Who had another diabetic child in the family who fulfilled the criteria of age. Then both children were given pumps.
2. Children from the poorest families, whose parents could not afford to buy a pump.
3. Children who had doctor’s recommendations for pump therapy.
All children who fulfilled the above criteria could apply for a personal insulin pump.
All requests for pumps which we received in the Insulin Pump in Diabetic Children Therapy Program were examined at the beginning of every calendar year. For instance, all requests submitted in 2008 were examined in January 2009. This rule was used throughout all the years.
We would like to remind that a monthly cost of maintaining one personal insulin pump is about 500 PLN. Every child is entitled to a refund from the Ministry of Health but the upper limit of this refund is 300 PLN.
back to the top
About diabetes
After a child is diagnosed with type I diabetes the family has to constantly count the insulin units and the amount of food eaten by the child, as well as measure its blood-glucose level.
After it has been programmed, a personal insulin pump administers insulin by itself. The child has a special needle through which the hormone is injected into its body. The child’s life undergoes a radical change when it does not have to face painful injections every day. Thanks to this little device the child can live a normal live, learn, play, laugh, eat sweets – in a word, have a happy childhood. Of course, the everyday life of the parents changes as well.
back to the top
LET’S GET EVEN WITH DIABETES
Providing full information about food is one of the most basic ways of helping the diabetics.
In order to calculate how much insulin is needed, every person with diabetes has to know theexact number of PROTEIN, FAT and CARBOHYDRATE EXCHANGE UNITS in food products they wish to eat. Have you ever wondered what your life or your child’s life would be like if you had to know exactly how much you eat? Without this knowledge you would not be able to measure out the right amount of insulin.
In a healthy person insulin is secreted by the pancreas, which by itself determines what amount is needed. Thanks to this the person has the right level of sugar in blood; they do not feel faint because of hypoglycemia (extremely low blood sugar level), or hyperglycemia (extremely high blood sugar level), both of which may damage internal organs. Treating diabetes consists in sustaining such glycemia as in a healthy person, which happens to be a very difficult task. Many diabetics try to guess the number of exchange units, which causes unwanted and life-threatening changes in the level of blood sugar: hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. The more exact the calculation, the smaller the number of dangerous mistakes.
In many countries around the world producers of food decided to lend the diabetics a helping hand by printing crucial nutritional information on their products.
The WOŚP Foundation appealed to leading Polish producers of food to take this simple step and help make the life of diabetics easier. We want to encourage them to include short information about fat, protein and carbohydrate exchange units on all their products. It would significantly help both children and adults with diabetes fight this demanding illness.
On every package there could be a small heart with the inscription “Policz się z cukrzycą” [Let’s get even with diabetes] and in the second line with the necessary information, for example:
Exchange units in 100 grams: 1,2 carbohydrates; 1,4 fat and protein
Exchange units in the whole package: 2,5 carbohydrates; 2,8 fat and protein
back to the top
Contact information
Coordination on the part of the Foundation:
Joanna Dzyban
tel. 0048-22-853-45-29
e-mail: cukrzyca@wosp.org.pl
back to the top
|