What is it like to live with diabetes in Macedonia? Are there a lack of tapes and therapy for diabetics in the country? Are there enough glucometers? This morning on November 14, World Diabetic Day, on the morning show Free Press we spoke with Dime Velev, president of the Association of Diabetic Associations in Macedonia.
Last year, patients ended the year with many problems, there were no glucometers, there were no strips for measuring sugar.

- Unlike last year, which we declared to be the most disastrous for diabetes patients, now the distribution and availability of therapy is more stable, first of all for insulin therapy and for metformin as therapy. But there is a lack of drugs that prevent diabetes complications. Nothing happened to change the positive list of drugs. We still pay for the innovative therapy out of our own pocket - says Velev.

He explains that what is available through the Health Fund is very little. This is already shown and confirmed by doctors.

- That there are no drugs that prevent complications from diabetes is unfortunately confirmed by the number of complications that further burden us as people, limbs are cut, blindness occurs, heart attacks, strokes and more and more people end up on dialysis - says Velev.

He says that the number of infected ranges from 115.000 to 120.000. According to him, the healthcare model must be changed, especially regarding the treatment of people with Type 1 diabetes, because we are the only country in Europe that does not have sensors for every person with Type 1 diabetes.

– Diabetic children who applied received sensors, but complain about the quality. The sensors last a short time, they burn quickly, they don't have sensors for a long time, so they have to get their own private ones. So, instead of lasting 7 or 14 days, they wear out quickly - says Velev.

He says they are waiting for the new 700 sensors that were announced in July. He explains that there are no drugs on the positive list that prevent diabetes complications. You can buy them in the country, but they are very expensive. The Ministry divides them into a very small number of patients.

- Until three years ago, we had an adequate number of patients on antidiabetic therapy. Now that number is very small, there are many complications. Medicines have to be bought and, unfortunately, sometimes we have to buy them in neighboring countries, because they are very expensive in our country. If a medicine here is 45 euros, in the neighboring countries it is 25. The same box, the same manufacturers, the same declaration - says Velev.

He explains that there are 3.200 people with type 1 diabetes in the country, and we only have 200 pumps. 3.000 people are not on the pump and are Type-1.

- It is definitely difficult to live with diabetes in this country and the standards do not allow it, firstly, lives are lost or complications spread, due to the low standard. People with diabetes are poor. We have cases in the Union with retinopathy, who have to take medicine to prevent it from developing. They pay about 200 euros plus. I will draw a parallel with Bosnia. As much as a patient with type 1 diabetes gets in our country, in Bosnia they get a patient with type 2 diabetes. Plus they get sensors - says Velev.

He explains that this year they opened the three most important questions for diabetes patients. Today, they demand well-being for the sick, the possibility of timely treatment, timely examinations, timely control examinations, and that those control examinations are finally practiced in full, that is, for the patient with type one, especially with type two, who already has a complication, in one examination to the complication is also monitored.