Diabetes Project

Seventeen year old boy happy with life saving insulin!

Because diabetes does not seem to be the major problem in developing countries it is a highly neglected disease in these parts of the world.

Diabetes can be very severe and without treatment, especially in young people, it can be deathly.

Previously, because of lack of the right treatment we were not able to help these patients in our hospital. This was very frustrating for the doctors, staff, patients and their family. Because we all know there is a good treatment with which we can help these patients.

In 2007 Dr Hennie Zonderland started to treat patients with insulin, which saved peoples lives. Unfortunately it is very difficult to perchace insulin in Sierra Leone, and if it is it is highly expansive and sometimes of poor quality.

Due to a donation of the Austrian organisation “Insulin Zum Leben“, we are now able to supply the hospital with insulin and other diabetes management equipment.

Currently 12 young male and female diabetic patients are treated with insulin injections which they administer themselves. They came into the hospital in a very poor state, dehydrated and unconscious. Due to the treatment and good care of the staff they survived.

One of the diabetes patients coming for his regular check up

Now they visit the hospital on regular basis to have a general check up and to supply them with new medicine.

One of the senior nurses has been trained on the job to treat the diabetes patients and do the follow up if necessary.

We hope to continue our project and keep improving diabetes care in the hospital.