Children with diabetes in California schools put at risk

A recent court ruling by the California Court of Appeal is putting Californian schoolchildren with diabetes at risk. The American Diabetes Association has responded by issuing a statement that expressed its extreme disappointment at the ruling, which stops non-medical school personnel volunteering to administer insulin to California schoolchildren who are not yet able to self-manage their condition.
Although that there are currently insufficient nurses or other licensed health care professionals in California’s schools to administer insulin to young students with diabetes, the association has stressed that the opinion does not say that non-medical school personnel should not be permitted to administer insulin, or cannot do so safely, but only that they are not permitted to do so by currently enacted California law.
Many diabetes experts argue that permitting trained non-medical school personnel to administer insulin should be allowed as it is in the best interests of the students involved.
Nash M. Childs, Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Associatio, said “Every child with diabetes has a right to be medically safe at school and the right to the same educational opportunities as his or her peers. Today’s ruling goes against those basic rights. We will continue to fight for fairness and safety for children with diabetes and all those affected by the disease.”
The American Diabetes Association runs a “Safe at School” campaign, which offers information and guidance to families of children with diabetes, as well as health care professionals and school personnel.