Taihape Medical Centre etc in Danger of Closure.

Taihape Medical Services in Danger of Closing.

http://www.3news.co.nz/DHB-given-10-days-to-cut-nurses-wages/tabid/423/articleID/166797/Default.aspx

Hmmm, Bugger. This is MY medical Centre, has been since oh, 2005ish and it is the Medical Centre where I met a doctor, a GP with whom at the age of 46 I finally able to begin to tell ‘a tiny wee bit of my truths’ to and that was the catalyst for me having ACC-Sensitive Claims Unit-funded counselling. If I ain’t had that and that involved making a decision to stay alive, then there would be no TBBD.

360 or so folk would never have had the opportunity to make in excess of 15,500 Posts, which means we as individuals and as a community would have left a lot unsaid, a lot unexplored and a lot of a sense of disassociation with any group, even an odd one like us.

To me, that’s why Otaihape Health Ltd and its associated services including a wee Hospitial and X-Ray facilities, consultants’ rooms, a wee pysch services block etc are so essential.

I’m not saying I am essential – I’m just saying that if I didn’t have that doctor at that surgery when I so desperately needed him or someone like him then a transformation of the old exceptionally self destructive Patrick into a SNAG of the Highest Order called Paddy (Hrmmmmph) would not have occurred. I have no doubt my life was saved then.

Who knows what other minor miracles have happened to folk because they have used medical services at Taihape? Sure, it ain’t perfect and I bitch about them, but By God are they needed. And not just for the likes of me, either.

If you ever drive through the Rangitikei on State Highway One, keep in mind that just maybe, there will be NO Medical Services between Marton and probably Waiouru or more likely, Ohakune, way off on SH 49. Ya wouldn’t want to be hurt and need medical help, I can tell ya. Though to be fair there is an Ambulance based at Hunterville – volunteer drivers, Bless ‘em.

Truly I would speak out against the planned reduction of services or closure of any rural community medical services as I learn of them, but this one is especially dear to me and one day, when I am a more famous writer, I intend to stick a plaque on the building there, saying here, I decided to Live.

Should anyone feel so inclined as to send an email to Whanganui District Health Board at
contact@wdhb.org.nz and simply demand that they take all necessary steps to ensure that there is NO reduction of the level of Medical Services currently provided by Otaihape Health Ltd and its associated Trust and Hospital from that currently enjoyed and needed by its communities AND also that it is unreasonable to ask or expect Nursing Staff to accept a 30% CUT in their wages as a way to maintain current services. How unvalued by their employer, those poor Nursing personnel must feel.

To give ya’s an idea of how important that Otaihape medical centre has been to me, its 156km’s from my gate to the doctors up in Taihape and home again. Well worth it usually, but. Yes, I have a doctors surgery about 10 minutes scoot from here in Marton but now WDHB wants to take away my choice of primary health care associates (I do most of the hard work, they nag sometimes when needed). I hope that they don’t.

And I hope that the nursing staff starts to get a fair deal from their employer. They must feel sick knowing how little their employer thinks of them and how the burden of saving an entire medical service is thrown on them, right in the public eye. What a horrid position for any employer to place staff in. I’d have to support them if those Nurses went on Strike, as much as it might inconvenience moi personally.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Paddy The Saved.

Dear Paddy

Sad as it is, and it is sad, A 2 week stay in an acute mental health unit would pay for 6 knee replacements.

Simple as that. Mental Health Service Users are a revolving door and they can't tick the box that says "cured" on discharge. We are pains and that particular medical centre is under utilized (apparently) according to the think tank and brains trust at WDHB, which as you know has just undergone a huge scandal and are battening down the hatches financially.
I did try to contact some folks there at WDHB and that's the story.

Speaking as a 'rural dweller' I get totally pissed off with the likes of the WDHB!!!!!!!!!

They compare the usages of services between the small towns with their largest centres. Of course there is going to be a HUGE difference. But they never really take into consideration the actual population figures...that would show a very different set of facts

Also they NEVER consider cutbacks in their own hoime town...heaven forbid if they or any of their family can't access help immediately.

and now the really sad part...it has gotten to the point in
NZ that they wont give a single rats patutie over any comments or protests or words of reasons

Well said Britelite (love the rat's patootie) but especially if you are of a mentally ill type.

They can bring in who they like john kirwin and any other knobs that they pay a fortune to, but mental health is and always will be the cinderella of medicine, now if you were to become HIV positive or Hep C positive on top of your mental illness, you are whistling dixie and you get the real big bucks and consultants interested in your case.

According to the Local Rag, essentially if the Nurses (mainly) don't agree to a 30% PAY CUT by Friday this week, the Otaihape Mecial Centre Ltd Board will declare Voluntary Liquidation, giving the WDHB Notice that as of 28 August 2010, they are Broke AND in VL, with locked doors.

Poor staff, what extra pressure to be under - a big chunk of rural central NI waits with bated breathe whilst those 'management types on the Board seem to have creamed the place and don't appear to think it necessary to offer any of the communities money back to the medical services it was allocated for.

Bah Humbug, OTH Ltd Board, Bah Humbug indeed.
You Sirs, are Cads and Bounders, both.

Paddy.

Paddy I am so sorry to hear about this situation...how stressful for everybody involved that relies on these services. It seems that finding AND keeping a good Doc these days is near impossible. The relationship between us and our Doctor is a very important one when we have to deal with mental health issues, let alone the other significant physical challenges that you have to deal with.

No Becks I don't suppose they will hold the Management over a barrel to drop THEIR wages by 30%

Thing is there's a new 2 year course for Mental Health Support Workers which is going to do away with the Mental Health RN in the community.

We will have to add new strings to our bow's and take up long distance accordion playing into the bargain, because these 2 year people will come in a lot cheaper than we do currently so its take the 30% cut or else you will be replaced by a cheaper model.

The MP's aren't any use either.

Bill English's brother is a long term mental health user and Jim Anderton's daughter committed suicide so you'd expect a bit of support from them but no.