Low cost Insulin Pump for diabetic patient

Now you must be wondering who all need insulin pump therapy, to which the answer is all diabetes patients require insulin. People that have T1D or those who have T2D require insulin regularly because their pancreas stops making insulin hormones. Some might need insulin because their body cells don’t respond to insulin properly. So, they need insulin pump therapy to get insulin on time.

Why not from injections and pens?

A person with diabetes may use an insulin pump to get insulin instead of getting it from an injection. It contains a small pump that runs on batteries and delivers short-acting insulin. People can wear it easily and it is quite comfortable to use, unlike traditional methods like insulin injections and pens.

First of all your doctor will tell you how many shots of insulin you need to take in a day. It can be one shot a day or four insulin shots in a day. After that, there are various forms of insulin that your healthcare taker will let you know. In the end, we get to the conclusion that Insulin injections and pens are not as comfortable to use as insulin pumps. You may have to take insulin shots in public which makes a majority of people uncomfortable. 

Working of an Insulin pump and its benefits?

The working of the insulin pump is quite similar to that of what our pancreas does in our body. It provides insulin to the body uninterruptedly, all day long. It also provides a large amount of insulin whenever needed. Below is its working process:

• Starts with a command to the basal insulin rate so that the pump delivers a specific amount of insulin.
• This rate is adjustable.
• You can make your pump deliver insulin at a Bolus rate which means in a huge quantity also. This type of dose is required to overcome the need for carbs in a meal.

Benefits: There are various benefits of using an insulin pump over insulin injections and pens such as

• There is no need to take injections again and again.
• Much easier to keep glucose in the target range.
• Insulin is adjustable according to the activity level.
• Do not have to rely on injections.
• The pump reacts much faster when connected to the body.
• You can switch to injections anytime.

Understanding the basic components of a low-cost insulin pump.

The Insulin pump:

Most insulin pumps are small, like a pager, and have a reservoir of insulin, a pump, battery, computer chip, and screen. They are worn on a belt, in a pocket, or attached to a holster, and connected by thin tubing to an infusion set. The pump is worn outside of the body and is connected to the infusion set.

Infusion set:

It acts as a connector that allows the insulin to reach the skin. Attached to the patient’s skin with a strong adhesive. A short thin cannula passes via skin on the below side of the infusion set.

The tube:

With the help of the tube, insulin gets from the insulin pump to the infusion set.

Cost of Insulin pump in India. Is it affordable?

India has a population of billions and the majority of them are below the poverty line. If we talk about the rates of medical treatment equipment they are mostly very high. This only tells us that not everyone is capable of buying costly equipment. To, AgVa Healthcare is one such digital healthcare platform that takes care of every section of the group and thus has designed an affordable Insulin Pump that comes under the list of low-cost insulin pumps.

The insulin pump price in India is very high. It ranges from 3 to 4 lakhs per Insulin pump. The price of insulin pumps is on the rise every year with the rise in diabetes mellitus and undoubtedly it is no joke to buy this priced equipment. You can find various types of insulin pumps on the market but it is important to analyze which one fits you and your pocket. A lot of insulin pump brands have manufactured various types of insulin pumps but AgVa Healthcare has developed Insul by AgVa which is an affordable insulin pump among the others.

What Are the Various Types of Insulin Pumps Present in India?

Different Insulin pumps offer different characteristics. Some of them treat hypoglycemia as they can connect to a continuous blood glucose meter or some may prevent the person from hyperglycemia as it is connected to a glucose monitor. Some have calculators in-build that count the carbohydrate intake. Insulin pumps vary in terms of how you refill them. It can be filled with a cartridge or simply by hand. 

Also Read: A Guide to Insulin Pump Therapy For Type-2 Diabetes

Now, most of you might ask, are there insulin pumps for kids? To this, we would like to tell you that thousands of kids around the world are managing their diabetes efficiently with insulin pumps. But first, consult your child’s healthcare taker and ask them which insulin pump to go for. After consulting you can buy the best insulin pump for your kid and place it where your kid won’t feel it. This will help them to do their daily activities without getting interrupted or distracted.

Some of the common types of insulin pumps are Insul by Agva, Medtronic MiniMed 770G System, Omnipod Dash, t: slim X2, and many more. One can do their research and choose the best insulin for them.

Why Insul by AgVa? Affordable, Easy to use, and much more!

Agva Healthcare is a healthcare organization founded during the Covid period and became the highest supplier of affordable ventilators. During the covid-19 epidemic back in 2020 when the people of India were fighting for their lives it provided them with medical care that was low budget. It helped a lot of people that needed a ventilator at the time of the Corona epidemic. Just like that, they have now come up with their new product Insulin pumps, to help people fight diabetes hassle-free. 

INSUL by AgVa is one of the most affordable insulin pumps manufactured by Agva Healthcare which is a low-cost insulin pump globally. This pump is curated with cost in mind as well as its simple working that helps people with diabetes get insulin easily without any hustle. Let us now see how Insul is different from the various insulin pumps present on the market. Features of Insul are mentioned below:

• Low-cost Insulin pump in India: The price of Insul is super affordable to people and is just Rs. 24,999 per pump. This price is quite affordable to the underprivileged section of our country and makes sure that they can manage their diabetes on time and stay fit. AgVa Healthcare thus makes sure to take care of every life of our country. 
• Bolus Calculator on Pump & App: Comes with an in-build bolus calculator that controls the blood sugar level in diabetic patients.
• 500 Units Cartridge: This pump has a 500-unit cartridge that is enough and lasts around 2 weeks. It also contains a transfer guard that helps transfer the insulin from the vial to the reservoir. 
• Smart Phone App Connectivity: Connectivity to the smartphone gives the patient the ability to manage and adjust bolus insulin notifications easily through their mobile phones. Also, have Bluetooth Connectivity With smartphones which makes it super handy for the user.
• 15 Days Life Disposable Set: This comes with the patch pumps that have few disposable components, some of them are completely disposable having 15 days of life.
• Indian Food and Calorie Database: Insul by AgVa is designed taking care that it calculates the Indian food and calories and Indian people can use it as Indian diets differ from the English diet plan.
• Disposable cost less than ₹500/-: As discussed, the cost Insul by AgVa is a low-cost insulin pump and has accessories that cost only Rs.500 every two weeks.
• 10 Times Cheaper than Competitors: An average insulin pump costs your pocket around 3 to 4 lakhs while insul by AgVa is one-fourth of what others are charging. And yes it is way too low as compared to the other pumps. Hence, the Insulin pump price in India is what every Indian diabetic patient can afford.

How to use an Insulin pump safely at home?

Most people who use insulin pump therapy find them to be super easy to use. But even if the insulin pump is easy to use we have to make sure that we constantly check blood sugar levels and always have an insulin backup plan. The key to using an insulin pump is to monitor blood sugar levels throughout the day. If you see a rise in the glucose level that could mean your pump is not working up to the mark. This also means that your pump is not delivering the insulin to your blood. 

Not checking blood sugar levels regularly can cause serious issues like hyperglycemia. This can turn into DKA if not analyzed or treated on time. One problem that can happen if you are using the pump is that they do not contain long-acting insulin. So if your pump is not working up to the mark it can raise your sugar on a fast basis.

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Hypertension: Causes and Prevention

The second important point to remember is that always have insulin backup ready so that you never run out of insulin. You might need insulin backup in case of pump failure. This also means that have your insulin needles, injections, pens, and syringes ready, pump failure can happen anytime. In the case of children, you have to be super cautious if the pump stops working and get an insulin injection as soon as possible. To avoid such conditions make a habit of checking the working pump once every day and ensuring that the pump is in good working condition. 

The Bottom Line

Isn’t it great to be super comfortable even after having a pump attached to your body in public? That is what an insulin pump does to you. It makes you comfortable and makes life much easier even with diabetes. Even though you might get a lot of queries occasionally from other people if your Insulin pump is visible. But if you feel hesitant about these questions always remember various types of insulin are quite small in size and you can easily tuck them somewhere it is not readily visible.

After getting reviews from young patients that have T1D, insulin pump therapy is way more effective than traditional injections as it saves them from the daily hustle. Also, they provide lower risks of hypoglycemia with better sugar control. This research confirms that insulin pump therapy is better any day, unlike injection therapy in children or adults. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How much does an AgVa insulin pump cost?

 Insul by Agva is quite affordable and is priced at Rs. 24,999.

Q2. How much does an Insulin pump cost in India?

 Insulin pumps in India cost around 2- 4 lakhs.

Q3. Do I qualify for an insulin pump?

 If you have diabetes and are taking insulin through injections and pens you can switch on to the Insulin pump therapy. But also have a word with your doctor once you make the switch.

Q4. How much does an OmniPod insulin pump cost?

 It costs around $800 for the PDM and $30 per pod which is approx 65000 Indian rupees.

Q5. Do I qualify for an insulin pump?

 Yes, if you have diabetes, and take insulin injections as prescribed by your doctor you can take insulin pump therapy.

Q6. How much does a Medtronic insulin pump cost?

 A Medtronic insulin pump costs something around Rs 1-4 lakhs.