Unbelievable: What's going on with Vuk Vrhovec and the aid for diabetics?!

Reposting from www.zadi.org

By pure chance, I came across someone with undiagnosed diabetes whose blood sugar was sitting at over
21 mmol/L. I advised them to see their primary doctor to get a referral for
a specialist (specifically to head over to Vuk Vrhovac). So, they show up there—completely undiagnosed,
a brand new case. They go to the front desk and what do they hear? "Great, come back in seven months for an appointment." ?! They didn't even run blood work,
nor did they provide any guidance on how to manage diabetes or what steps to take next, and they didn't refer him to any doctor. Where is the breakdown here?! How am I supposed to advise him?! I can't diagnose him myself. Has Vuk Vrhovac switched to a "figure it out yourself" model? Now he's just stuck at home, waiting until next summer to actually get a diagnosis?!
There isn't much more I can do to help him beyond what I've already done, but it would be interesting if someone from the staff at Vuk Vrhovac happened to read this and comment.
Here is the full response I received from Vuk Vrhovac:

Details at www.zadi.org

You can find the original letter at www.zadi.org.

I just read through this, and honestly, it’s terrifying to see what's happening in this decaying country of ours. It feels like everything is being dumped right onto the backs of innocent people. 🙄

Doesn't it feel like most things in America just revolve around picking on the weakest links?

shadowsurfer54 said:Doesn't most of what happens in America just hinge on how we treat our most vulnerable?

Exactly. The only difference is that being "vulnerable" in this country is often a choice people make.
It’s exactly the situation we allowed to happen.

The mess likely started when they began consolidating hospitals and, in the process, slashing budgets left and right.

Shouting into the void doesn't work; you can't fix this on a message board. You need organized civil society. When it comes to actual rallies or town halls hosted by advocacy groups tackling these issues, you can usually count the participants on one hand.

Exactly. You've got a point there.

By the way, I'm not just shouting into the void on this forum; I'm trying to raise public awareness, and those aren't the same thing.

Of course steps are being taken, but if people don't actually understand what the issue is, they aren't going to react.

Unfortunately, for all of us, diabetes is a pandemic-level disease.

Every major illness that wiped out humanity in the past—like the plague, cholera, or typhoid—followed the same pattern: an initial phase, then an escalation, followed by a near disappearance.
But diabetes has been on a steep upward trajectory for the last twenty years.
There is a very high probability that within the next decade, diabetes issues will jump from the current 10% of the US population to somewhere between 25-30%, which is a massive number of people.
Over here, there are a few films discussing this, so you might want to take a look.

shadowsurfer54 said:Exactly. You've got a point there.

By the way, this isn't just someone shouting into the void on a message board; this is a public service announcement, and those two things are worlds apart.

Of course steps are being taken, but if the general public doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation, they aren't going to lift a finger.

Unfortunately, for all of us, diabetes is essentially a pandemic.

Think about every major disease that wiped out humanity in the past—the plague, cholera, typhoid—they all followed the same pattern: an initial phase, a massive escalation, and then they eventually subsided.
Diabetes, however, has been on a relentless upward trajectory for the last twenty years.
There is a very high probability that within the next decade, the number of people struggling with diabetes will jump from the current 10% of the US population to somewhere between 25-30%. That is a staggering amount of people.
You can find a few documentaries here that dive into this, so give them a watch.

The number of diabetics in America is massive, and they have a very active association, but this isn't some overnight crisis. The issue with the general public is that they tend to ignore anything that doesn't hit them directly in the face. Based on my own experience working with a cancer support group, people are incredibly passive—even those who are directly impacted by the crisis. That’s what gets under my skin the most: people taking the path of least resistance, convinced that nothing can be done, even though nobody has actually bothered to try.
Diabetes is a condition that can be managed exceptionally well today through the right lifestyle adjustments and consistent, balanced therapy. Because we know this disease is expanding, we need to cut through red tape—like these endless waiting lists for checkups—right at the starting line.
I noticed this thread was started by someone from the American Diabetes Association, and I sincerely hope that informing the public doesn't stop with this one post. I’d suggest launching an initiative through the coalition of associations in healthcare to draft a single press release to be sent to every relevant news outlet. We need a lot more assertiveness in how we present these issues.

Angela Wright said:There are so many people living with diabetes here in America, and they have a very active association, but this isn't exactly a new struggle. The issue with the general public is that if a problem doesn't hit them directly, they just don't care. From my own experience working with a cancer support group, I've seen how passivity can bite those who are actually suffering. That’s what frustrates me most—people choosing the path of least resistance, convinced that nothing can be changed, even though nobody has actually made a real attempt to change anything.
Diabetes is a condition that can be managed incredibly well today through the right lifestyle adjustments and consistent, well-balanced therapy. Because we know the prevalence of the disease is only going to expand, we really need to slash things like medical waiting lists right at the starting line.
I noticed this thread was started by someone from the American Diabetes Association, and I sincerely hope this public awareness campaign doesn't end right here. I’d suggest launching an initiative through the healthcare coalition of associations—maybe draft a single, unified press release and blast it out to all the major media outlets. We need a bit more assertiveness in how these issues are presented to the world.

I second that!

He could potentially be referred to a different hospital closer to where he lives—one that actually has an endocrinology department and outpatient services, just like they mentioned in that letter you all received. I mean, why does it have to be specifically at Vuk Vrhovec? Sure, they might be the main facility, but if the wait times there are impossible, why not try a different hospital in Washington, D.C.? I guess he might even be admitted through the ER, and then maybe they could get him scheduled for endocrinology as early as the next day.

Getting an appointment is such a struggle here, and I don't just mean at the hospitals. Even when you look for private specialists who split their time between clinics and private practice, it’s the same story. At least, that’s been my experience. But, I suppose this isn't just about high blood sugar; it sounds like something else entirely is going on.

Angela Wright said:There are a huge number of people living with diabetes here in America, and they have a very active association, plus this isn't exactly a new issue. The public perception problem is that people tend to ignore things that don't hit them directly. In my own experience with a cancer support group, people can be pretty passive, and it’s those who aren't affected who end up feeling the consequences. That’s what frustrates me most—people taking the path of least resistance, convinced that nothing can be changed, even though nobody has actually tried anything yet.
Diabetes is a condition that can be managed incredibly well today through the right approach, a healthy lifestyle, and consistent, well-balanced therapy. Precisely because cases are expected to expand, we need to cut down things like waiting lists for checkups right at the starting line.
I see this thread was started by someone from the Washington, D.C. Diabetes Association, and I really hope the public awareness efforts don't stop here. I suggest an initiative through the coalition of associations in healthcare—one unified press release drafted and sent out to all the relevant media outlets. We need to be a bit more assertive in how we present ourselves.

I'm signing on too!
Is anyone actually willing to volunteer their time to help push through some kind of reform?

shadowsurfer54 said:I’m right there with you!
Is anyone actually willing to volunteer their time to drive some kind of actual reform?

Activists carry much more weight than simple volunteers. Volunteers just carve out free time to knock out specific tasks handed down by activists. Real activists need to be embedded within the community—among the patients, their friends, and their families. They should be the ones directly or indirectly feeling the sting of the problem, though that isn't always how it works in practice.
My association will definitely step up, providing both boots-on-the-ground volunteers and public support, especially since we have people in our own ranks who developed diabetes as a result of a cancer diagnosis or its treatment. This kind of waiting game for appointments is unfortunately standard procedure for oncology patients too, where time is even more precious—every single day wasted is ten steps forward for the disease.

It’s just great. Milinović’s healthcare reform has managed to drag us into the bottom three countries globally when it comes to fertility treatments, all while focusing on firing and sidelining doctors instead of trimming the fat from those protected administrative bureaucrats in places like Little Rock. But hey, I guess that’s exactly what we should have expected.

I happened to stumble upon an article on CNN that hits right on the head regarding this whole situation: The terrifying intimidation of doctors who oppose hospital mergers. Just look at how they treat physicians who dare to push back against the system. It’s appalling. Honestly, I feel a deep sense of shame for my country and my people.

You can find the full details from that article over at www.zadi.org. Honestly, I suspect this issue is only going to get worse, because what we're seeing right now is completely irrational.

Doctors are such a perfect microcosm of this entire country—everyone is constantly at each other's throats. There’s way too much ego and petty jealousy floating around, and don't even get me started on the political maneuvering and the power trips within the medical field. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve felt the sting personally just by mentioning one doctor in the same breath as another when discussing collaborative projects. It honestly feels like high school drama, where everyone is nursing some inexplicable grudge against one another for absolutely no reason.
What a total joke!
Maybe it’s finally time for everything to boil over and force their hand. When people are pushed into a corner, they crack, and that creates a chain reaction that could end in anything. Honestly, a complete meltdown might actually be better than staying stuck in this stagnant, pathetic mess we're currently drowning in.

Just a quick update:

www.zadi.hr/PRESS-11-01-20.pdf

The press conference is scheduled for January 20th at 10:00 AM, held at the HSDU offices at 48 Ilica St.

shadowsurfer54 said:Here’s a quick update:

www.zadi.hr/PRESS-11-01-20.pdf

Press conference scheduled for January 20th at 10 AM, held at the HSDU offices, 48 Main Street.

Perfect!
I just hope they sent this via certified mail so they can't pull that "nobody received anything" excuse.
And here's a little bet for you:
At the conference, some high-ranking Undersecretary will probably show up—assuming anyone actually bothers to respond. Usually, when things get this messy, the administration just sends a sacrificial lamb to take the heat.😳