The government should start giving Continuous Blood Glucose Monitors free of charge to Type 1 diabetes patients who are 16 or older, the Nationalist Party said.

The PN was backing a call made by the Malta Diabetes Association.

It said that, after it started giving the monitors free to diabetes patients under 16, the scheme should now be extended to people over that age. The PN said it will include this proposal in its pre-budget document.

In a statement signed by MPs Claudette Buttigieg and Mario Galea, the PN said these monitors allow patients to better control their sugar levels and to be more involved in their own care.

It said it backed the MDA’s call for the government to start giving these kits to different age groups over a period of time. These glucose monitors relieve suffering and give patients greater dignity and control over their condition, it said. It hoped that the government would include this proposal in the upcoming budget.