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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 22. September 10 1979

The Health System Eroded

The Health System Eroded

Understandably there has been widespread and vocal public reaction to these cuts, How justified is that concern? Is the public health system really being eroded? Again, let's examine the effects of the cuts in Wellington.

The closure of the surgical ward at Wellington Hospital, according to the chairman of surgical staff (Mr A.W. Beasley) would result in more people waiting for hospital treatment. He stressed that closing the surgical ward at Wellington Hospital would be an abrogation of the responsibility surgeons felt to provide proper surgical care. Even the Minister of Health was quoted in the 30th August's edition of the Evening Post as saying "People who believed that they would not be able to have operations as in the past were under the wrong impression, except possibly in the case of non-essential surgery." Unfortunately this is hardly a comforting assurance, if you happen to have a "non-essential" but extremely painful surgical complaint such as varicose veins.

Superficially, the closure of the alcohol and drug dependence unit at Porirua might not seem particularly harmful to health services. However this unit is the only residential treatment for women with alcohol problems in the Wellington area. With its closure, long term patients from the villa are to be transferred to other wards, but the rest of the patients in the villa are to be discharged, with medical supervision continuing on an outpatient basis. The staff at Porirua Hospital were so incensed by the unit's closure, and subsequent reductions in services, that industrial action was considered as a fightback measure.

Perhaps the clsoure of one of Hutt Hospital's two Pediatric wards, was the cost-containment measure to receive greatest public attention and condemnation. The Pediatric Ward 8 provided specialized facilities for children and adolescents, and was particularly important in the absence of any children's hospital in New Zealand. Protesters against the closure include the Lower Hutt City Council, the epileptic societies, concerned Hutt residents, medical stall, the Handicapped Children's Society and the Hutt branch of the International Year of the Child Committee. They are concerned that the removal of Ward 8 will mean the elimination of specialist nursing care,

Photo of a nurse with a child-patient

A children's ward; one such ward has been forced to close at Hutt Hospital.

page 11

Southern Cross Medical Care Society Total Members Benefit Other Annual General Reserves per membership contributions produced income surplus reserves member 1970 92,023 $638,404 $309,879 $10,575 $36,681 $156,995 $1,70 197 1139,962 $1,144,616 $674,641 $25,558 $85,504 $241,498 $1,72 1972 190,748 $1,875,397 $1,270,935 $33,873 $97,409 $305,715 $1,60 1973 296,158 $3,254,383 $2,125,995 $55,280 $239,525 $525,240 $1,84 1974 366,515 $4,967,687 $3,560,051 $102,052 $186,9I7 $732,157 $1,99 1975 371,905 $6,864,048 $5,013,946 $148,004 $464,542 $1,323,293 $3,56 1976 407,583 $8,387,250 $6,038,772 $252,879 $526,193 $1,849,486 $4,54 1977 472,691 $10,057,163 $7,494,264 $406,676 $561,417 $2,410,903 $5,10 1978 540,557 $12,556,354 $9,616,914 $486,266 $772,069 $3,182,972 $5,88

Photo of nurses and patients outside

[unclear: Geriants]

[unclear: tal] "rooming-in" facilities, the loss of vice centre for disabled children, and [unclear: ps] most importantly, the removal of a with an atmosphere that was [unclear: Kive] to recovery. Their arguments for [unclear: etention] of Ward 8convincing, [unclear: rtnately], despite several well- [unclear: Jed] protest meetings the Hospital [unclear: i's] decision remains implacable.