Diabetes Survey At Rangiora

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31234, 5 December 1966, Page 10

Diabetes Survey At Rangiora

As a “dress rehearsal” for the fullscale survey on diabetes in the Rangiora Borough next April, 150 persons selected at random from the 2500 adults in the town took part in a preliminary survey on Saturday morning.

This survey was designed to test the efficiency of the organisation, and to determine whether it was possible to test 150 persons in an hour—-

the rate required if all adults in the town are to be tested in the time planned. The test went very smoothly and was done in the required time, said Dr. A. P. Cotter, chairman of the local organising committee. Much of the success resulted from people keeping to their appointment times. "The organisation was tremendous and all personnel were well briefed,” said Dr. D. W. Beaven, director of the medical unit to Princess Margaret Hospital. He attributed a great deal of the success to the detailed

planning by Mr A. F. Scoggins, who had arranged the preliminary survey population census.

Each of the 150 persons in the “dress rehearsal” was issued with gulcose to be taken two hours before the appointment time.

The testing was done at the Rangiora Borough School, where three self-contained reception centres, each with two blood-taking stations, were set up under a central administration centre.

Each person reported to the reception centre 20 minutes before the testing time and was measured for weight and height, leaving about 10 minutes’ “rest time” before a blood sample was taken. A number of elderly and infirm persons selected for the preliminary survey were unable to attend at the school, but these were tested in their homes.

“All were agreeably surprised at the ease with which blood samples were taken,” said Dr. Beaven. There were 108 persons involved in organising and administering the preliminary survey. Rangiora service dubs —Rotary, Lions, and Jaycees —helped substantially with personnel and 28 senior pupils from the Rangiora High School acted as runners.

The blood samples were taken by trained venesectionists from Christchurch, assisted by members of the Rangiora St. John Ambulance Brigade. Samples will be analysed by an auto-analyser at the Christchurch Public Hospital. The results will be known this week. The four medical practitioners at Rangiora, Drs. R. L. Thompson. Cotter, H. D. J. Lovell-Smith, and W. R. Young have all been closely associated with the survey, as has the Christchurch Diabetic Society.

The survey in Rangiora, arranged under the auspices of the New Zealand Medical Research Coundl, is part of a world-wide survey being conducted by the World Health Organisation on the incidence of “hidden” diabetes. Saturday morning’s work and its continuation over four Saturdays next April, has been made possible by a grant of £lOOO by the Canterbury Savings Bank.