The president of the Malta Diabetes Association has called for ending the assignment of a learning support assistant to primary and secondary students needing to receive insulin injections during school hours.
Chris Delicata said in Parliament on Monday that diabetic children were perfectly capable of administering their own medicine, and did not suffer from any learning disabilities as a result of their condition.
His call was backed by Opposition MP Claudette Buttigieg who described the practice as a waste of resources which could be better deployed elsewhere. However, the need for schools to have properly staffed and up-to-date clinics ready to respond to health emergencies was emphasised.
Mr Delicata also said a national diabetes screening programme, similar to that already introduced for breast and colon cancer, was necessary to ensure that as many cases of diabetes as possible were prevented.He expressed his organisation’s satisfaction at the fact that a Working Group on Diabetes had been established within the House for the second legislature running. He also commented positively on various initiatives adopted by the Government while pointing out where improvements were…
