Kerry diabetic makes 100-mile round trip for care

DAN O’CONNOR has already lost half a leg to diabetes, and saving the other depends largely on access to a podiatrist, a professional who identifies and treats diabetics at risk of foot ulceration, which, if untreated, can lead to amputations.

At the moment, the 62-year-old Kerry man can pay €90 a month to have his toenails cut twice, or he can undertake a 100-mile round trip to have his toenails cut free of charge.

To avail of the free service, Dan, from Rathmore, Co Kerry, must travel to Cork University Hospital, which has one of just two hospital-based diabetes-focused public podiatrists in the country. There is no public service in Kerry and Ireland has the lowest manpower in podiatry for diabetes in Europe.