Isilco
Country report 2010.
Isilco is the Icelandic ostomy association.
MEMBERS:
Our members number about 260 people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Since there are so few of us we are not divided into groups according to what kind of ostomy we have. However there is one subgroup: The young (between 20-40) have a special group. It is a well known disease throughout the world that young people can have a hard time talking and relating to the older ones.
ACTIVITIES DURING THE YEAR:
Our activities throughout the year were mostly on a regular basis. We held six open meetings in Reykjavik and one in Akureyri in the north of Iceland. In these meetings we usually try to have a lecturer with a topic relating to ostomates on a broad scale. For instance, one of the lectures dealt with ostomates and sex. That lecture turned out very well despite the delicacy of the subject.
Meetings and lectures during the year have been attended by an increasing number of ostomates and we link that, at least partially, to the economic recession that we are going through. Such problems very often bring out the need in people for the company of others in similar circumstances. But we also like to think that the board of Isilco is doing a good job.
Other activities included taking part in meetings and small conferences held by both the Disabled Peoples Union and The Cancer Association of Iceland, but Isilco is a member of both those organizations.
Our main concern during the year was that our visiting services are getting less and less attention from doctors and hospitals. That I believe is a problem in other countries as well. We are planning a small conference to deal with that situation and hope it will be a success.
APPLIANCES:
Ostomy appliances are practically free in Iceland and everybody gets the appliances that he or she needs. Two major suppliers are active on the market. Because of our economic recession ostomates in Iceland were afraid that the public institution that handles these matters would be forced to start charging for the appliances but that has not been the case since 1997. The last we heard these matters were being looked into but so far appliances are still free. If the ministry of Health decides to start charging us again we will of course fight against its decision.
Respectfully,
__________________________
Jon Thorkelsson,
Chairman of Isilco.
Stómasamtök Íslands.
Isilco
Founded october 16th. 1980.