Following the revelations in "Israel Today": Hundreds of mothers have signed a petition demanding that the Basket Committee not give up the "artificial pancreas" device, which helps treat diabetes
About 600 mothers of children and adolescents with diabetes have signed an unprecedented petition.
In a petition that reached us, they warn of "abandoning their children, especially during the corona plague" because the drug basket committee rated the "artificial pancreas" device, which allows control of blood sugar, and if there is no change - will not enter the 2021 drug basket.
The petition was sent yesterday to all Knesset members and the chairman of the drug basket committee, Prof. Shuki Shemer. This follows Israel Today's revelations about a petition of 1,500 diabetics and their families, sent a week ago to Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, and an appeal in October by the Diabetes Association The youths who testified before the Ministry of Health that they "live in great fear because of the very high risk of complications and death from corona."
Juvenile diabetes (type 1) is a medical condition in which the pancreas does not produce insulin, and as a result patients suffer from extreme conditions of sugar level, which constantly endanger their health.
It is estimated that there are about 35,000 juvenile diabetics in Israel.
The expensive device known as the "artificial pancreas", from the medical technology company Medtronic (officially named Minimed 780), is connected to the patient's body and performs a constant and continuous independent check of blood sugar levels using a sensor;
According to the test results, it causes an automatic injection of insulin into the body through a pump.
The device was presented this year in a basket for about 2,000 patients over the age of 14 a year, at a budgeted cost estimated at about NIS 10 million.
In the petition, published here for the first time, the 600 mothers wrote that "the disease requires Sisyphean treatment 24 hours a day and all year round" in order to reach the tolerable sugar values. Dozens of punctures are required during the day, endless calculations and frequent erections at night. "Functional and emotional; the changing values of diabetes endanger our children."
The mothers further warned that "now another cause for concern has been added, and that is the coronary epidemic and its close connection to diabetics. But as we parents and children make constant efforts to balance our children's sugar levels, we cannot win the war on balance without the use of appropriate technology.
"While diabetes is incurable, there is an available treatment that can bring our children to optimal balance and it is a kind of 'artificial pancreas'. We were confident, confident and hopeful that the basket committee will understand the importance of the system, especially against the corona, and put the issue first. Priorities, but we were amazed to discover that the most advanced technology in the world has received a low rating, which means abandoning our children.
"That is why we appeal to you, Knesset members, as women to women and as mothers to mothers, please help us in the fight for our children's lives. We must work for the technological accessibility of the only treatment for juvenile diabetics in the basket."
The basket committee said that "about 880 drugs and technologies have been submitted this year with a total cost of more than three billion shekels. The technology in question is one of those discussed this year. The committee is holding intensive discussions and plans to submit its recommendations to the government by January 2021."
