DUSHANBE July 13, 2016, Asia-Plus – Reserves of free insulin have been exhausted and the small reserve the Ministry of Health has is intended for children suffering from diabetes, Tajik Minister of Health and Social Protection Nusratullo Salimzoda announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 13.
According to him, officials forgot about people suffering from diabetes while working out the national budget for 2016.
“The national budget for 2016 does not earmark funds to ensure the provision of free insulin for this category of citizens,” said the minister. “There are some 34,000 diabetics in Tajikistan and 3,500 of them need free insulin.”
5 million somoni are needed annually to purchase insulin “but our ministry does not have such funds,” Salimzoda said.
“We have applied for help to local authorities,” said the minister. “Besides, the Ministry of Health has been conducting negotiations with partners and donors and they have promised to help us.”
The price for a vial of insulin at drugstores in Tajikistan fluctuates from 120.00 to 180.00 somoni but not all diabetics have enough money to buy insulin.
Meanwhile, a local expert said on condition of anonymity that about 100 diabetics died in 2010-2011 in Tajikistan because of untimely provision of free insulin. “They could not receive free insulin because of red tape and did not have money to purchase insulin at a drugstore,” the source said.
