Visit by expert planned to ease A.I.D.S. fears

Press, 12 November 1985, Page 6

Visit by expert planned to ease A.I.D.S. fears

NZPA-AAP Sydney A medical expert is being sent to reassure anxious residents of a New South Wales central coast community worried that a young A.LD.S. victim, Eve van Grafhorst, is moving into their area.

The state Premier, Neville Wran, telexed the residents of Kincumber to tell them that Dr Thomas Goh, of the Institute of Public Health at North Ryde, would arrange a visit to the area this week.

“I sincerely trust that Dr Goh will be able to reassure the community on this issue,” said Mr Wran. A spokesman for the group had asked Mr Wran for a written assurance that no-one would be in danger of contracting A.I.D.S. after the Government assisted the van Grafhorst family to buy a house in the area. Mr Wran said that he was not a doctor and he could understand the apprehension about A.I.D.S. in the community. “We’ve all got to find out

as much as we can about the disease and act upon rational facts instead of suspicion,” he said.

Eve had suffered a lot already and deserved to be given a “fair go” by the community. Eve, aged 3, contracted A.I.D.S. through a life-sav-ing blood transfusion. Her case first came to public attention when she was barred from pre-school. Some Kincumber residents are concerned at being the first Australian community to face such a problem, and one said that she would take legal advice on the matter.

Mr Wran said that he doubted that any lawyer would advise action in the circumstances.

A spokesman for the Health Minister, Ron Mulock, said there was “a great deal of inaccurate mythology relating to A.I.D.S. and the ways in which it can be spread.” He said that Dr Goh’s visit should straighten out any misapprehensions.