Support for new health centre idea

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 499, 17 August 1993, Page 1

Support for new health centre idea

"You can mend a hole in a rusty bucket but it's just going to leak somewhere else": this analogy by Raetihi resident George Chan, on the current state of the Waimarino Rural Health Centre, was echoed by more than one person that attended last Monday's meeting on the future of health services in the area. Around 40 people including Waimarino Community Health Watch Committee members, health professionals and Ruapehu District Council Mayor, Garrick Workman, attended the meeting .Those at the meeting discussed both the future of the Waimarino Health Centre - whether it should be renovated or re-built - and the ongoing fight to maintain an adequate level of health services in the Waimarino. Two submissions were tabled, from absentees Dorothy McNie and Bob Peck. Both submissions called for the current 24-hour care available at the Waimarino Health Centre to be retained at all costs. W.C.H.W.C. member, Dorothy Scarrow, said that the health centre must continue to provide "unconditional care" and not become an 8am-5pm service. "I would hate to see people sent home at night and told to come back in the moming, making sure they've had their breakfast first", she said. Overwhelming consensus at the meeting was to ensure the present standard of health care in the Waimarino is maintained. Mrs Scarrow re-iterated a submission made to Health Minister Simon Upton, on behalf of the W.C.H.W.C, detailing the health needs and services of the Waimarino. Mrs Scarrow said the submission was compiled after input from the region's health groups and professionals, detailing the minimum level of health services required, which include: • Six community beds and three maternity beds. • 24-hour, 7-day ambulance service. • Services of a resident physiotherapist, social worker and radiographer. • Staffed by a manager, staff nurse and enrolled nurse. • Services of two cooks, two cleaners and a reliever. • Services of visiting specialists including medical, surgical, E.N.T., paediatric, gynaecologist, obstetric, psychiatric, diabetic nurse and asthma educator. • Services of visiting medical officers. Other local health services to be retained: • Air ambulance, G.P.'s, practice nurses, plunket nurse, pharmacist, home care, visiting school psychologist, funeral director. Services to be retained within the community but coming from the centre: • Public Health Nurse, for health education and promotion; district nurse and community midwife. • Health social worker, and Maori health worker. • Dental therapist. • Psychiatric district nurse. • Voluntary support groups including: C.A.S., Stand By, Cancer Support, Asthma Support, Red Cross, St John's, naturopathy, speech therapist. Mrs Scarrow emphasised that the community is in no position to weather further cuts in services, with the first priority being to demand that current services remain in place. There was unanimous support by those at the meeting, for the retention of the current 24-hour ambulance service. Mayor Garrick Workman said that Wanganui health authorities must consider maximum and minimum occupancy rates and not averages when considering possible cuts to the number of beds at the centre. 'To hell with what Good Health Wanganui says", he said. 'The services should be here, when and if needed." "If we want 12 beds one night and none the next, so be it." Health centre options in hand The future of the Waimarino Health Centre facility was discussed at length, with much debate given to the possibility of building a new health centre, or simply maintaining the present facility. A cost survey revealed that the cost of a purpose-built health centre could be receuperated in 3-5 years, rather than maintaining thc present building which is in a State of disrepair. Turn to page 2

Health future

From page 1 The concept of a combined health centre/rest home facility was tabled in the form of a ground plan by Raetihi resident, Harry Brown. Mr Brown's plan detailed separate rest home and health centre facilities, with shared kitchen, laundry, recreation facilities. Mr Workman said he believed Wanganui's Crown Health Enterprise would be receptive to the concept of a joint health centre- rest home. It was decided that a meeting between the Waimarino Community Health Watch Committee and the Waimarino Rest Home Committee be scheduled for Thursday, to discuss the feasibility of a joint venture (see separate report this page.) Possible options for the future of the Waimarino Rural Health Centre include: • Maintaining the current facility on-site. • Building a new facility on the present site. • A new facility, built on a site in Seddon Street, Raetihi. • A new facility situated in Ranfurly Terrace, Raetihi. The possiblity of establishing the health centre in Ohakune provoked considerable discussion between those Raetihi and Ohakune residents present. Ohakune people were outnumbered 4:1 at the meeting, with a number of reasons given for the siting of the health centre, not the least being "history". One supposition was that the siting of the health centre in its present location makes it accessible to those residents living in the relatively remote outlying areas, and to the Wanganui River communities. Mr Workman said he would approach Good Health Wanganui, on behalf of the communities, for funding assistance to further the deliberations. A questionnaire compiled by the W.C.H.W.C. will be published in the Ruapehu Bulletin at a later date to gather public feedback for the proposals.