RTA CHECK-UP

Having just visited my sister for the Christmas holidays, I drove her to
the RTA so she could renew her driver's licence. After filling out the
renewal form honestly, she was stunned when told she would have to get a
full medical report from her local doctor before she could receive her new
licence.

Why, you may ask, would she have to see her GP at her own expense, not to
mention the fact that the RTA can also get in touch with her GP at its
expense? What nasty disease does she suffer from? Nothing more than
diabetes, treated with diet and oral medication.

Diagnosed in 1998, she has never suffered from hyperglycaemia, nor has she
had any other medical problems associated with diabetes. Are all other
chronic diseases treated the same way, and if not, why not?

Why not make all licence renewers have a complete medical including a full
blood test? That way the RTA could find out who has what diseases, who are
on illegal drugs and who are abusing prescribed drugs, so they can be taken
off the roads like the drunks have been with random breath testing.

If diabetics are being discriminated against, I would like to know why.

L.James, Green Point.