as a new medication will arrive on the Island next month.

The good news was revealed by head of the Diabetes Centre, Debbie Jones yesterday in a speech to Hamilton Rotarians.

Ms Jones said: "We can offer type 1 patients a life free of daily injections with an insulin pump, which delivers insulin like a healthy pancreas.

"The pump is the size of a small pager and carries about three days worth of insulin to keep the blood sugar at the proper level when not eating and gives yourself precisely the amount of insulin when you are.'' The pump will be attached to a small tube, which is inserted into the abdominal area and delivers a small amount of insulin continuously. When a meal or snack is eaten, the carbohydrate content of that meat is analyzed and an appropriate amount of insulin is delivered by programming the pump.

Ms Jones said that in May the intention is to put three or four people with type 1 Diabetes on the pump, and then a further group in July. Ms Jones said: "We have the capabilities of offering a centre of excellence for those with diabetes. No one asked for this disease. It cannot be prevented, but it can be controlled and we owe it to the people with type 1 diabetes to control it even better.'' Approximately 8,000 people in Bermuda have diabetes.