Diabetes

Press, 1 May 1984, Page 16

Diabetes

Sir,—Congratulations to the writer of your leading article on April 26 on Mr Allen and diabetes. This summary brings to a close, we hope, an incident that I feel has given undue publicity to the misfortunes of a sufferer of diabetes. As your article points out, the unfortunate publicity generated has given unexpected prominence to the long campaign against diabetes. Lay societies have been working in New Zealand for the last 28 years. At present there are 25 lay groups from Whangarei in the north to Invercargill in the south. All are voluntary groups working to support and help people with diabetes. If the Allen publicity has generated some interest and encourages all diabetics to join their local support groups to take advantage of information and educational aids available, and if the public now appreciates and understands the diabetes disorder, then hopefully Mr Allen himself may feel his unfortunate experiences over the last month or so have achieved some worth-while results.—Yours, etc., R. G. HARRIS, President, Diabetic Association of New Zealand. April 27, 1984.