“We Are Dying Silently,” Diabetes Network Tells NUJ, Seeks Urgent Government Action

 

Calabar, Cross River State — The Network of Persons Living with Diabetes in Cross River State has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, to lend its voice to the growing health crisis affecting diabetics in the state.

Victoria Omini.

During a courtesy visit to the NUJ Secretariat in Calabar, the group, led by its State Coordinator, Comrade Bernard Enyia, called on journalists to amplify their concerns and urge the state government to take urgent steps to address the skyrocketing cost of insulin and the lack of institutional support for persons living with diabetes.

Speaking at the meeting, Comrade Enyia lamented that diabetes patients in the state are being marginalized, neglected, and left to bear the full financial burden of their treatment.

“We are dying silently,” he said. “Many of our members have lost their lives, others are struggling to survive, and the situation is made worse by the high cost of insulin and the absence of a government-backed support system.”

He noted that despite being a lifelong disease requiring constant management, diabetes has not received the attention it deserves in the state’s health system.

The Network expressed disappointment that the Ministry of Health has no desk officer for diabetes, that there is no annual observance of World Diabetes Day, and that the State Health Insurance Scheme excludes insulin and other essential drugs for diabetes care.

Comrade Enyia also decried the lack of trained diabetes educators and inadequate data on the number of persons living with the condition in the state, adding that many patients cannot afford treatment when public hospitals are shut down during strikes by health workers or labour unions.

He appealed to the NUJ to help bring their plight to the attention of Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, describing the situation as a “silent emergency” that requires immediate intervention.

Key Demands Presented by the Network

The Network called on the Cross River State Government to:

Establish and fund a Diabetes Desk at the Ministry of Health;

Include diabetes in the state’s annual health budget;

Expand the Health Insurance Scheme to cover insulin and essential diabetes medications;

Train health workers in all 18 LGAs as diabetes educators;

Integrate diabetes care into Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities;

Provide free blood sugar testing in public hospitals;

Subsidize diabetes drugs and provide wheelchairs for amputees;

Observe World Diabetes Day annually in the state;

Empower persons living with diabetes economically through inclusion in SME and social investment programmes;

Conduct a statewide survey to determine the prevalence of diabetes; and

Launch a media campaign on diabetes prevention and management.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the NUJ, Cross River State Council, commended the Network for their courage and commitment to advocacy through non-violent and rights-based means. He assured the group that the media would continue to spotlight their challenges and support their call for government action.

“The media remains the voice of the voiceless,” he said. “We will ensure that your message reaches the relevant authorities and the public. No one should have to die because they cannot afford insulin.”

Comrade Enyia, in his closing remarks, expressed gratitude to the NUJ for their solidarity and promised continued collaboration to ensure that the voices of persons living with diab

etes are heard loud and clear across the state.