SDHB election result - 3 excellent choices

Sunday, 13 October 2019

Cull and Chambers top SDHB poll

By Mike Houlahan

The election results, confirmed tonight, saw emergency doctor and former SDHB member John Chambers top the poll in the Otago constituency, followed by Mr Cull, community health council member Ilka Beekhuis and oncologist Lyndell Kelly.

The election results, confirmed tonight, saw emergency doctor and former SDHB member John Chambers top the poll in the Otago constituency, followed by Mr Cull, community health council member Ilka Beekhuis and oncologist Lyndell Kelly.

 

 Having cancer isn't all laughs. Surgery, you hope it'll be a nice cancer so the surgeon can remove it all, you hope it hasn't had time to metastasise, you hope if it has its demon spawn will be given the heave-ho by the improved treatments available now. Chemo. Radiotherapy. There's a helluva kaleidoscope of emotions, first finding you've got cancer then finding out what needs to be done, then after that....  
Being wheeled along Cumberland Street for radiotherapy? NO! NO! For heaven's sake NO!

 

Saturday, 5 October 2019

Oncology separation criticised

By Mike Houlahan

 

 ...Initial plans for the new $1.4billion hospital development showed oncology services slated to remain in their present building, on the corner of Hanover and Cumberland Sts. Clinicians had lobbied against that decision but their pleas had not been heeded, Lyndell Kelly, a medical specialist in radiation oncology, said.
"I'm annoyed oncology will not be moving with the new hospital, and I just don't know how we are going to be treating our inpatients with radiotherapy," Dr Kelly - a candidate in the upcoming Southern District Health Board election - said.
"It will be a major problem, and I have let the Health Minister know that. He thought it would be fixed in the final plan but it hasn't been.
"We are going to be pushing stretchers down Cumberland St with patients who have received radiotherapy."....

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/oncology-separation-criticised

The Cumberland Street Oncology pushalong, by Kleinefeldmaus

Tuesday, 8 October 2019

Oncologist reiterates concerns over hospital plan

By Mike Houlahan

 Keeping the oncology department separate from the new Dunedin Hospital, as intended by planners, will mean 1400 ambulance trips a year between the two buildings, a cancer clinician estimates.
Dunedin Hospital radiation oncologist Lyndell Kelly raised concerns about the proposed separation, saying radiotherapy patients would end up being pushed down Cumberland St in stretchers.
Southern Partnership Group chairman Pete Hodgson said he had been told there would be about two or three patient transfers a week, and it had been decided to retain the oncology building as it was relatively modern.
Dr Kelly disputed both Mr Hodgson's estimate of patient transfers and the oncology building's suitability.

She said there were actually two to five transfers to and from oncology per day.
Mr Hodgson declined to comment, other than to say Dr Kelly's views were "at some variance'' with advice he had received.

I suppose an explanation could be, there may be 
patients having to be transferred  more than once
each per week. If not that, I'd be surprised if Dr Kelly
isn't sharply aware of the number of patients
since her source of information hasn't been 
collated by someone at distance from sick people. 






 

 

 

 

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/oncologist-reiterates-concerns-over-hospital-plan