October 6, 2022

Tigray’s largest hospital pleads for urgent provision of diabetes healthcare supplies

City: Addis AbabaHealthNews

The hospital said it is in a position of not providing a single vial of insulin or oral hypoglycemic medications

Avatar: Abiy Solomon
By Abiy Solomon

Abiy is the Editor-in-Chief of Addis Zeybe. He has intense experience in journalism, visual communication, and online media. Abiy has worked in various editorial positions for The Daily Monitor, The Reporter, Fortune, and BBC Media Action.

Tigray’s largest hospital pleads for urgent provision of diabetes healthcare supplies
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Credit: Getty Images (Ayder Hospital staff on duty)

Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, the largest public Hospital in Tigray, pleaded for an urgent supply of diabetic health care supplies for diabetes patients in Tigray who it said are in a dire situation. 

In a letter the hospital addressed to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ethiopian Diabetes Association (EDA), it requested the supplies explaining the severe condition diabetes patients in Tigray are undergoing and the shortage of these supplies it is suffering. 

“We plead for EDA to solicit any possible means to send diabetic health care supplies and IV fluids for OKA management including by airlifting to serve humanity in this devastating situation,” the hospital said in a statement. 

“We are in a position of not providing a single vial of insulin nor oral hypoglycemic medications, no dialysis service nor a supply to undergo corrective amputations for diabetic patients in need.”

According to Ayder hospital, there are 26,768 people living with diabetes in Tigray where 16,420 are type one totally insulin-dependent, among them, 8,224 are children under the age of 14, and 10,348 are type two OM patients. 

“There is an increasing number of newly diagnosed patients and many arriving from all over the region… there are 12 diabetic patients dying on weekly basis; we have no data of those dying at home.” 

The hospital appealed for help in its letter which is also copied to the International Diabetes Federation, ICRC, and World Food Program to save the lives of the suffering patients. The World Health Organization is not mentioned in the list of letter recipients though the issue mainly concerns the UN health agency. 

“We trust MOH and EDA along with potential partners shall immediately respond to this catastrophic loss of Innocent lives due to lack of diabetic health supplies. We trust you shall address this urgent need to salvage lives and respond without any delay.”

Located in the capital of the Tigray region, Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital is the largest referral hospital in the region. 

Since the war broke out between the Ethiopian government and the Tigrayan forces in November 2020, international organizations have been voicing their concerns over access to humanitarian aid and ever-deteriorating health services and supplies.

The war which is almost dragging on for about two years has made the Tigray region remain under blockade with the interruption of basic services. 

After a five-month humanitarian truce, the war broke out again last August dwindling the hope of peace talk between the belligerents which was being brokered by the international community.