JEDDAH, 25 October 2005 — Diabetes patients who cannot afford to buy their medication are to both receive it and have it delivered to their home for free at the end of each lunar month. The General Administration for Medical Supplies (GAMS) at the Ministry of Health has instructed medical centers and advised diabetics to register at the nearest center. Initially, only Saudi non-insulin diabetes mellitus patients are included. The program was launched by the Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Al-Manie and the medical centers started receiving diabetics’ applications yesterday.
“The goal is to help diabetes patients who cannot afford their medication to have it,” said Dr. Abdullah Alzahrani, vice president of Health Affairs at the GAMS. “We hope when every diabetic registers at his/her nearest medical center we will be able to help as much people as possible.”
Alzahrani said diabetics who take insulin are not excluded from the program, but because their case needs more planning it is postponed for the meantime.
According to Abdulrahman Alsahafi, spokesman at GAMS, medical centers will provide the information of the patients who need the medication to GAMS. They have to make sure all the information provided is accurate, he said.
