Save Limbs, Save Lives

The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness to help elderly and underprivileged patients who are unable to afford the best treatment available for diabetic foot ulcers and chronic wounds by providing Maggot Debridement Therapy in both medical facilities and from the confines of their homes. And by doing so, reduce the risk for amputations in these patients

In Singapore, there is an average of 4 amputations a day in people with diabetes.

For patients with chronic wounds or diabetic foot ulcers, getting adequate treatment is a daily challenge. With the elderly and less privileged forming the bulk of patients affected with these conditions. Not only are diabetic foot ulcers costly to treat and manage, it often means a loss of mobility, independence and an increased dependency on caregivers.

Simple everyday tasks such as getting out of bed become huge obstacles to overcome. Furthermore, due to the nature of the wound, these wounds often have a foul odor which only adds to difficulty for these patients to leave home.

And with the current COVID-19 uncertainty, these patients would be classified as high risk with underlying conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Seeking medical attention would be exposing themselves to higher risk of contracting COVID-19 by going to hospitals and clinics to seek treatment. Furthermore, these wounds often require weeks or months of medical care and attention which means these patients would have to make regular visits to medical facilities for treatment.

As a result, many patients often end up not seeking the treatment they need, putting their own safety and wellbeing at risk. If these patients do not get the treatment they need, these wounds will get infected and would need to be amputated, or in serious cases, may even lead to death.

Maggot debridement therapy or MDT for short is a procedure where sterile medical grade maggots are placed onto an infected chronic wound such as a diabetic foot ulcer. These maggots disinfect and remove infected tissue from the wound to promote and facilitate wound closure. A study conducted by Singaporean medical researchers in 2008 found that MDT was able to reduce amputation rate in patients who were scheduled for amputations by 48%.

Here is a Channel News Asia feature on MDT and its benefits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulpi-O2O_6I&t=38s

An article from Asia One which features MDT and explains how it can be beneficial for patients suffering from chronic wounds can be found here: https://www.asiaone.com/health/creepycrawlies-may-help-heal-diabetes-wounds

Cuprina is an ISO 13485 certified medical device manufacturer based here in Singapore. From our lab in Lower Delta, we manufacture and distribute live, sterile medical grade maggots which are used in public and private hospitals in Singapore.

Cuprina intends to work with NPOs and public hospitals to help Singaporean patients get the care and attention they need to reduce infection, disinfect wounds and promote wound closure and in doing so save their limbs and lives while limiting their exposure to COVID-19.

Whenever possible, Cuprina aims to help the patients from the comfort of their own home thereby reducing visits to medical facilities only when a review is required. This would enable patients to get the best care possible in the comfort of their homes while reducing their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

A research study published in the Annuals Academy of Medicine in 2015 calculated that the mean cost for diabetic foot management is around $4900 SGD. However, by using maggots, we would be able to achieve similar or better results at a more affordable price.

Link to research article mentioned: http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/44VolNo12Dec2015/V44N12p567.pdf

A $500 donation provides one patient with unlimited cycles of medical grade maggots; wound dressings and clinician care for the duration of their wound care treatment needs. While a donation of $100 would be required for a patient to get one cycle of MDT therapy.

Every dollar from all donations will go towards,

• Providing registered nurses to carry out the wound care treatment for suitable patients from the comfort of their homes
• Covering all costs of medicinal maggots as well as additional dressings required to clean and disinfect wounds.
• Identifying and reaching out to patients who meet criteria

All donors who donate above $500 will receive a personalized thank you note from the patient as well as a Certificate of Appreciation from Cuprina Pte Ltd.

Should you know someone in need of this or wish to nominate a patient, feel free to check out our website at cuprina.com.sg or email us at [email protected]