At the height of his 15-year career as a surgeon in the Pacific nation of Fiji, Dr Jone Hawea was performing eight to 10 diabetes-related operations every day – at least two of which were the amputations of limbs. “Our wards are always full of diabetes cases. Sometimes our surgical wards wouldn’t be able to Read more
An endocrinologist says New Zealand’s type 2 diabetes drugs are ‘third world’. Why won’t Pharmac fund the medicines experts want? In his early twenties Ben Tawhai was a 120kg lock, playing senior rugby for Otago. In his mid-50s he’s hooked up to a dialysis machine five hours a day, three times a week. “It’s pretty Read more