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  • 4 months ago
Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association, Kenneth Suratt, is sounding the alarm on a growing crisis among the differently abled.

As blind and visually impaired citizens struggle to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, Suratt is calling on government to provide free continuous glucose monitors to blind persons across the country. He says it is a matter of dignity and equity.

Nicole M Romany reports.
Transcript
00:00Blind persons living with diabetes face an often invisible struggle of monitoring blood
00:06sugar without being able to see the numbers. Traditionally, glucose meters rely on visual
00:12cues, something inaccessible to many visually impaired persons.
00:17Today, Kenneth Surat tells The Morning Edition this not only undermines their independence
00:24but endangers their health. He believes the continuous glucose monitors will provide
00:30significant relief.
00:32This equipment will tell you your level of what the sugar is reading. Say if it's reading
00:36too high, you know not to involve in your sweet. You know how to manage your insulin or your
00:41oral medication. So you are getting real time access to this information than having to go
00:48and stick your finger and say it takes an effort. This is on you all the time. Your smartphone
00:54is with you all the time. So you could get that continuous monitoring on what you eat, how
00:59to manage your diabetes.
01:01Surat is also urging government to ensure that children with visual difficulties have access
01:07to equipment and early diagnoses. He says the sooner the better.
01:12Because there is a window up to probably age eight and if you pass that age eight and you
01:17don't correct that visual impairment, it is difficult to treat with teaching the brain how to see.
01:22So we are suggesting to the government early intervention based on by other persons with disability group.
01:29Persons have to wait something 24 months or more to see a specialist. We are calling upon
01:34the government when it comes to children. It is important that urgently within 90 days someone
01:40with a disability and need proper diagnosis from a specialist, that person should have that
01:45opportunity.
01:46The Blind Welfare Association Executive Officer is pleading for consideration to be given to
01:52this in the upcoming fiscal package.
01:55Please don't forget the blind, the persons who are blind in our community. We want access
02:00to continue glucose monitoring. Please provide it for us because Trinidad is a blessed country
02:06and God put all of us here. He takes us from all over the world and we are here in a special
02:11place. So I am calling upon the government and in particular the Minister of Health. Please
02:15when you are considering this proposal for the 2026-27 budget, please factor in persons who
02:21are blind.
02:22Paul M. Romany TV6 news .
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