Health Ministry sets up call center for diabetics

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has set up a call center for the Kingdom and the Middle East which will provide technical support for diabetics in the region who are using insulin pumps.
Undersecretary to the Ministry of Health for Medical Services Dr. Thuraif Bin Yusuf Al-A’ma opened the first call center in Riyadh on Monday. The project will be carried out in coordination with Medtronic Inc., which supplies insulin pumps to the region. The company offers the only FDA-approved integrated diabetes management system.
It includes an insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and therapy management software. Studies demonstrate this integrated system can provide superior glucose control compared to multiple daily injections (MDI) so the risk of long-term complications from diabetes can be reduced.
Supervisor of insulin pumps program in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Harbi, Consultant Endocrinologist in charge of diabetes in children, explained that the evolution of medical technology has led to a therapeutic solution alternative for people with type 1 diabetes who are mainly insulin-dependent.
“Insulin pump therapy dramatically reduces the risk of low blood sugar and also reduces the number of injections that patients need to carry with them. It also reduces the incidence of chronic diabetes-related complications such as eye and kidney diseases.”
He added that the Ministry of Health gave the highest priority to diabetics; the strategic partnership with the manufacturer of insulin pumps aims to provide quality advisory and technical support services to patients who use insulin pumps.