Malta: ME, FM recognised as chronic conditions

[Ember]

Thursday, February 27, 2014, 12:01
By Claudia Calleja

Sufferers of the debilitating illness ME are glad the government is finally recognising it as a chronic condition but insist action must urgently be taken to ensure it is diagnosed and treated.

“The recognition is good but, now what? Recognition is only the tip of the iceberg and recognition without appropriate and timely follow-up action is even worse,” activist Kevin Drake, who is an ME sufferer, said.

For sufferers to start benefiting the government had to set up a specialised unit for neuroimmune diseases in hospital, train medical practitioners to diagnose the illness and start “a proper regiment of treatment”, the former actor said.

“Most importantly medical professionals need to be informed… because the biggest problem is the misinformation that still exists among the professionals themselves.”

On Tuesday the Health Minister announced in Parliament that myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and fibromyalgia were going to be officially recognised as chronic diseases....

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[shannah]

Good News ... long time coming!

 

[filfla4]

Here's our follow-up to the above article, published in today's Times of Malta

 

[Battery Muncher]

Great stuff!