Health services cuts opposition unanimous — Bulletin survey

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 591, 20 June 1995, Page 1

Health services cuts opposition unanimous — Bulletin survey

It is essential that the Waimarino Health Centre provide overnight care for patients — that's the unanimous result of a recent Ruapehu Builetin street survey showed. Surprisingly, everyone said that they had the means, by way if transport and / or someone to drive them, to get to T aihape or W anganui if they did require urgent treatment. However, none of those surveyed were happy with the prospect of traveling to Taihape or Wanganui. Their comments revealed a disgust at the waste of community time and money

that had gone into fundraising for the health clinic in Raetihi. Many emphasised the stress it would place on a family if a parent was far away and children were unable to visit for long periods. One woman related the boredom she had experienced as a patient in Wanganui hospital and highlighted the need of a patient for emotional support from family or whanau. Nearly all the women interviewed were concerned about the needs of matemity patients and the possibiltiy of birth while in transit. Others were con-

cerned that someone would die or a case would unnecessarily worsen, for example, appendicitis? because of the distance requrired to travel. One man told how he had taken his son, who required overnight care, to Wanganui and the whole excercise had cost him $200 in travel costs and food, not to mention a day's business as he had had to shut up shop. For all these reasons the people we interviewed were emphatic that the Waimarino distrcit should retain if not improve the health services we already have.