Health answers please

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 299, 11 August 1989, Page 2

Health answers please

While many people have feared the closure. of our hospital as such it is reassuring to hear from Mrs. Scarrow, our W.A.H.B. representative, that we will not lose it. While this was made quite clear by Margot Mains at a recent public meeting there are a few questions as residents we have the right to ask. They are not negative criticism. They are simply saying we as a community and people have the right to ask and expect answers. I hope the day will never come when we all just accept the judgements and decisions of others. Look what hap-

pened to the Jews! • Will the rural health centre provide 24 hour service to our community? • Will community nursing provide a more effective health service? Surely valuable nursing time will be spent travelling for which transport needs to be provided. • Are community mid-wives going to mean a higher standard of post-natal care for mothers and particularly babies? I can't see that a mid-wife calling perhaps once a day could

measure up to the 24 hour service now provided in our hospital. I hope post-natal beds and care will be available for mothers to choose whether or not they stay or go home. • Are we going to have relative relief for people who are looking after dependents? e.g. what about the husband who can't work because he has nobody to stay with his wife? Does it mean that many may have to give up jobs or take time off to look after their loved ones? • Accidents and emergency - will we have a 24 hour hospital service as well as an ambulance? • Natural disasters - will beds still be available if needed? • What has happened to our x-ray services? How do you get to Wanganui of you don't have transport? • What's going to

happen to the frail ambulant people? From the conception of the hospital in 1905, there followed fund raising by the community which finally saw the doors open in 1922. As equipment was needed our community has supported the hospital. The day-room fund raising was undertaken by the staff and support of the community of that time and, my word, the staff worked and paid for every last nail and piece of carpet etc. with no financial input from the hospital board. The Lions & Rotary have played substantial parts donating T.V's, washing machines, two way radios, building ramps and even at this time a helipad. Need I go on? What a wonderful positive community we have. We have always had a dedicated hospital staff and, yes I agree, lets get behind them and our

doctors to ensure we have the best health services available and also to see that we are able to utilise our hospital to its full potential, even as has already been suggested if this means looking at alternative uses. Its not a matter of "stand still and protest or learn to run with it and make it work". It's more a matter of not settling for anything less than we already have or if changes need to be made that they be an improvement and what community wants as opposed to what the Health Board thinks we need. Perhaps a survey of our wants would be in order. Positive reinforcement doesn't mean that we as a community need to just accept without questioning what the W.A.H.B. intends doing. So come on Mrs .Scarrow, as our representative how about getting the board to present to the community some facts and figures e.g. strategic plans and budgets. To the best of my knowledge our W.A.H.B. is allocated $250.00 per head of population per/annum, with our district population standing at 4,500 that gives $1,125,000.00 for health needs of our area. Is this not sufficient money to meet our health needs and run the hospital too? If not, why not?

Julia

Martin