October 14, 2002
Traveling
Question from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
My friend’s 80 year old grandfather has type 1 diabetes and lives in Tasmania, Australia, but he was born in the Ukraine and wishes to return there to see his brother who he hasn’t seen in fifty years. The logistical problems associated to this wish are, at the moment, hard to define correctly. He is still very active but has additional health problems I am not clear about. What is the degree of care that can be provided in the Ukraine for someone with diabetes if they wish to relocate there for good? Is there a comprehensive checklist that can be obtained for traveling and relocating with diabetes in that part of the world? What are some of the dangers and pitfalls associated with this task?
Answer:
Rumor has it that medical care in Ukraine is rather spotty. Difficulties with quality control of supplies and labs as with many other parts of the world. So, best way to answer these questions involves knowing a great deal about what type of diabetes grandpa has and how difficult it is to control.
You should ask these specific questions to his doctor, perhaps with a joint visit. Then you would have a sense of how much trouble he may be in when traveling. Traveling to Ukraine for a several week trip should not be a problem, however, since all his supplies could go with him. In the big cities of the Ukraine, there would be better medical facilities, in general, compared to the countryside.
SB
