Little help for people with diabetes in Philippines Typhoon disaster

The typhoo, named Typhoon Haiya, which struck The Philippines on Friday 8th November, has wreaked havoc on a number of the country’s islands.
Over 50,000 people have been left homeless by the storm including people with diabetes, a number of which will rely on regular insulin injections.
Amongst those caught in the storm and left homeless was Helen Cordial who has diabetes. Mrs Cordial was one of 3,000 people on the island of Samar who fled the destruction of the storm to find help at the airport of Tacloban. With homes destroyed and electricity cut off, keeping insulin cool and getting fresh diabetes supplies is either very difficult or impossible.
However, relatively few people have been offered help and evacuated out of the island to get care. Amongst those taken to safety have been babies, elderly people and those that are in medical difficulties but Mrs Cordial is one of those that had a desperate wait for help.
The 40 year old had been shaking on a stretcher, waiting for support . She told reporters: “I was pleading with the soldiers. I was kneeling and begging because I have diabetes,” adding: “Do they want me to die in this airport? They are stone-hearted.”
Mrs Cordial worried that the number of people that lay dead could pose a health risk to those that had survived. The death toll is believed to be around 2,500 people. Mrs Cordial noted: “[The dead] should be removed right away because all of us will get sick.”
However, medics urge that the focus needs to be on getting help and care to the living amongst the community. The panic reflects the confusion and struggle to arrange priorities in the wake of such a sudden and devastating natural disaster.