High cost forces patients to improvise diapers

Bedridden patients in medical facilities and those discharged to their homes in the Northern Division have resorted to cutting reused blankets and towels to use as diapers because they can't afford to buy. This concerning situation was revealed to members of the Labasa Rotary Club during their visit this week to donate adult diapers to health facilities in the division.

As part of their outreach, the club distributed eight boxes of adult diapers to Nabouwalu Sub-divisional Hospital and 10 boxes to Savusavu Sub-divisional Hospital, aiming to ease the burden on patients and caregivers who are struggling with finances.

Labasa Rotary Club president Amelia Simmons said she was shocked to hear the testimonies of the patients as they struggled to recover.

“Some patients have requested if we could liaise with the Government to subsidise the cost of the adult diapers as it is an expensive basic need of bedridden patients,” Ms Simmons said. “Patients are already vulnerable mentally and physically and when they use leftover materials from home it lowers their self-esteem.”

She added that some diabetic patients were also resorting to the same measures, and a few relatives shared that they had felt suicidal due to the helplessness of watching their loved ones suffer in such conditions.

“We had donated 51 boxes of adult diapers to Labasa Hospital and as promised earlier this month we also travelled to Savusavu and Nabouwalu hospitals to deliver this donation,” she said. “After this the medical staff of these sub-divisional hospitals will contact patients who were discharged to receive these diapers also.”