Coast DHB surgery catchup in Christchurch
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Additional orthopaedic operations for West Coast residents have been carried out in private hospitals in Christchurch in the past month, as Greymouth hospital attempts to reduce waiting times exacerbated by Covid-19.
An update to the West Coast District Health Board advisory group said additional Ministry of Health funding had enabled additional hip and knee joint surgeries privately during May and into June, to reduce some of the longer waiting times at Te Nikau Hospital in Greymouth, particularly in orthopaedics.
Additional plastic surgery bookings had also been secured with the extra funding.
The waiting list for plastic surgery first specialist assessments had reduced from 68 patients in February to 14 in May.
The plastics surgical waiting list had benefited as well with 39 patients currently waiting, 26 of whom had surgery booked in June.
West Coast DHB general manager Philip Wheble said 35 major joint operations had been done off the West Coast.
While the extra plastic surgeries would significantly reduce the long wait time, for orthopaedics there would still be people on the waiting list over the time limit.
"The impact of the Covid-19 lockdown and distancing restrictions in August and September 2021, and again from February 2022 onward have influenced our results," Wheble said in an update.
"General surgery, paediatric surgery and urology are on year to date delivery targets, but there have been fewer elective cases able to be delivered in the disciplines of cardiothoracic, ear nose and throat, gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, plastics and vascular surgery."
The West Coast DHB had 165 patients waiting over 120 days for their first outpatient specialist assessment at the end of March -- 107 orthopaedic cases, along with plastics (22), urology (17), rheumatology (8), cardiology (6), respiratory (4) and general medicine (1).
Telehealth had been used wherever possible for specialist assessments.
There were 101 Coast patients waiting over 120 days from their first surgical assessment until surgical treatment, at the end of March, spread across orthopeadics (75), urology (10), plastics (8), dental surgery (5), opathalmology (2), and paediatric surgery (1).
Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
Poll: Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?
I'm sure you've seen it while doing your weekly shop... In fact, it may have even been you.
What do you think about people heading to the supermarket in their pyjamas?
-
14.5% It's fine!
-
75% It's questionable
-
10.6% Other - I'll share below
Vanessa
“Giggly girt! Giggly girt!”
“See I got my hair cut on Friday. I've got my hair band to keep it up. See? Like this I keep it up.
Biscuit Blair - she's my favourite woman. And you. And that cheeky lady over there.
My last name is Rule. I'll write it down for you, you silly old duff.
I was born on West Coast. I moved here when I was a little girl.
I like doing pictures here that’s why I like pictures. Doing art. I like going for a walk. I come here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
My sister, I go see her on Saturday. Have a cup of coffee, at home. She's five, nine. 59. I'm five, seven, 57. This year I'll be 58. My birthday's on a Thursday. I'm having chocolate cake and pizza. And lolly ice cream.
Some people are noisy. Nicholas, and Peter and Chris, they are my friends and that giggly girt over there.
I get headache sometimes at other work, because noisy.
I'm happy here. I could go for a walk if I want to. I'm good.”
- Vanessa, White Room Creative Spaces
The White Room is a community creative space that removes barriers to
making art. Through this, artists build confidence and connections and
embrace new opportunities.
Loading…
