Some patients living with diabetes mellitus in Abia have decried the exorbitant cost of managing the ailment, saying it has drained their pockets.

The patients complained in separate interviews with journalists in Umuahia on Monday, as the global community gets set to mark World Diabetes Day on Tuesday, November 14.

In 1991, the International Diabetes Federation, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), founded World Diabetes Day to address escalating concerns regarding the health and economic implications posed by diabetes. This initiative gained official recognition as United Nations Day in 2006.

The patients lamented that the cost of diabetes drugs was becoming unbearable for them and appealed to the government to assist them in making them available for free or at a subsidised rate.

A patient, Enyinnaya Nwokocha, said he had been on insulin injections since he was diagnosed with the disease more than eight years ago without getting any assistance in the procurement.

“The drugs are quite expensive, and we don’t even see them in my community, so I always look for money whenever I’m coming to purchase it because the doctor placed me on a weekly visit,” Mr Nwokocha said.

Another patient, who identified herself as Mama Uche from Ozu Abam in Bende Local Government Area, also lamented her ordeals in assessing treatment.

The septuagenarian complained that she had been on diabetes medication for the past five years without any meaningful improvement.

“The original drugs, which I normally purchase at the pharmacy whenever I am in Umuahia, are very expensive, and as a widow, I don’t have that kind of money.

“I wish the government would assist us in terms of drugs because they are costly,” she stated.

Chijioke Nwakanma, who said he was diagnosed with diabetes about five years ago, also said the drugs are not only expensive but scarce.

He said, “I am aware that the foreign drugs are more effective than the local ones, but I usually buy the local ones because they are cheaper.

“The drug dealers told us that the high cost is due to the high exchange rate of naira to dollar, and that is why I am calling on the government to help us reduce the cost.”

A survey reveals that diabetes drugs, especially foreign brands, are scarce. However, foreign brands such as empagliflozin (Jardiance-10 mg) sell for N16,250 per packet, while local brands such as Glucophage-1000 mg go for N2,250 per packet.

A pharmacist, Fortune Moses, said the primary challenge in controlling diabetes as a metabolic disease is a financial burden.

According to him, some of the patients do not know what they are suffering from; even when they do, they prefer traditional medication.

In terms of financial challenges, expensive drugs such as dapagliflozin (Farxiga) and empagliflozin (Jardiance), which are foreign brands, work more than the cheap ones.

“Due to the financial burden, patients around the locality go for metformin (Glucophage), which is sold for N240 per card.

“That is not to say that the cheap brand does not work, but the foreign counterpart works faster,” he said.

(NAN)