Staff shortage puts pressure on Ashburton Hospital
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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Staffing shortages are already putting the pressure on at Ashburton Hospital while the threat of an omicron outbreak in the region looms large.
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has confirmed that the current number of nursing vacancies in the Ashburton District is putting pressure on the DHB’s acute and inpatient nursing workforce in Ashburton.
CDHB general manager rural health services Berni Marra said they were reshuffling staff and reviewing services to cope with the shortage.
“To minimise disruption to our Ashburton-based services, we are making full use of our talented Ashburton team, with nursing staff from various outpatient, community, day surgical and education work forces being redeployed to assist the areas currently under pressure.
“We’re also reviewing outpatient clinic and community care bookings for the next six weeks, with urgent and acute care, e.g. emergency and palliative, being prioritised.”
People may notice a difference in the way other services were delivered in Ashburton, Mara said.
“While our district nursing service continues, more clinics will be taking place virtually via telehealth for example.
“Our colleagues across the DHB are also supporting our community and our services, as we work through an active recruitment programme including talent sourcing from overseas, multi-channel advertising across all job boards, targeted campaigns, recruitment open days and attendance at career expos.
“While we work to overcome this short-term challenge, our community can be confident that they will continue to receive quality care from our Ashburton teams, when and where they need it.”
Acute and inpatient services would continue to be available and people should continue to access the care they need when they need it, she said.
“This includes making their GP their first port of call – they can tell you what to do and where to go if you need to be seen urgently.
“After hours, people can call Healthline for general health advice on 0800 611 116 anytime,” Mara said.
If you or someone you know needs mental wellbeing support or advice: Call or text 1737 to speak with a trained counsellor. This service is free of charge and is available day and night.
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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