Geelong tops state for deadly disease but diabetes body dumps service

Kim Waters
Diabetes Australia has withdrawn its individual consultation program in Geelong despite new statistics showing the city has more victims of the potentially fatal illness than anywhere else in Victoria.
Barwon Health diabetes centre manager Pamela Jones said health services were struggling to care for 12,000 sufferers around Geelong since the loss of the one-on-one program.
Diabetes patients were now forced to attend group consultations or join long waiting lists for GPs, she said.
“We’ve had a bit of an explosion of diabetes incidences in Geelong,” Ms Jones said.
“Diabetes Australia has changed its strategic plan and stopped individual consultations but not everyone is suitable for a group consultation.
“The diabetes epidemic is only going to get worse and there’s a real need in Geelong for increased educational services for individuals.”
Ms Jones said the program withdrawal had put “huge pressures” on health professionals in the Geelong region.
“It makes it so hard to get access to a diabetes educator,” she said.
“At Barwon Health people now need to make appointments and they’re always waiting around because we have to try to see as many people as possible.
“Five years ago we would see 400 people per month. Now it’s more like 800 and it’s hitting us really hard.”
Ms Jones blamed Geelong’s fast food outlets and restaurants for the diabetes “explosion”.
“In Geelong we have so many fast food places and lovely restaurants and it’s so much easier to get that quick fix than to prepare something healthy,” she said.
“We really need more awareness and better prevention strategies.”
A Diabetes Australia spokesperson said the organisation had changed its focus to “supporting health professionals” rather than individual sufferers of the illness.
“We decided the best way we can support people with diabetes is to support health professionals rather than provide a direct service,” the spokesperson said.
“In Victoria we don’t provide one-on-one support. We think that’s more the role of the local health services and we will work more with supporting general practice nurses and other health professionals.
“There are a lot of people in the community who can deliver those services for individuals and we’re pointing people in the direction of those services.”
Diabetes Australia statistics released this week show that City of Greater Geelong has 12,000 sufferers, more than any other Victorian municipality. However, Bass Coast has the state’s highest rate of diabetes, at 9.1 per cent.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that prevents sufferers from producing the hormone insulin, which the body uses to convert consumed sugars into energy.
Diabetes can cause a range of health problems, in some cases forcing amputation of limbs or causing fatal heart disease or strokes.