I wish to thank Sandra Aloisio for her insightful piece on ME (Alive & Healthy magazine, February edition) and for raising awareness on the neurological condition.

My daughter has been crippled by this disease for years. She was diagnosed with ME after four years of being ill. We did not have and still do not have adequate guidance from doctors on how to cope with the illness and what to expect; and although she is now practically house-bound due to the severity of symptoms, she is still not taken seriously by some health practitioners who think her symptoms are psychosomatic.

In recent months, Malta’s health authorities joined other countries in banning blood donations from people with ME, so they must recognise that the condition is a real and physical one.

I appeal to the government to invest in training doctors, nurses and anyone involved in health care and to keep abreast of on-going ME research so that people like my daughter get the appropriate medical support they need and are not left isolated.

Aileen Scerri

SLIEMA