Health aides
In response to ongoing concerns about rural shortages of GPs, I presented, at the 2010 Health Informatics New Zealand Conference, on "The Alaska Community Health Aide Program".
This programme utilises a community-based workforce, known as Community Health Aide Practitioners (CHAPs) trained to be the "eyes, ears and hands of
physicians" with the ability to work remotely.
This provider model of care has been proven to address health care staffing shortages, and recruitment and retention of staff, in underserved areas in Alaska.
When used with appropriate telehealth-based systems, studies have shown increased access to health care, decreased wait times, with overall improved effectiveness and cost savings throughout the health system.
The headline "Worn-out GP: System kaput, (NZ Herald, June 22) and Heather du Plessis-Allan's column on Sunday both stress the need for more GPs and nurses.
Yes, true. However, after more than a decade, with little progress on that front, perhaps it is time to ask if there are other ways to solve the health care worker shortage?
Don Lemieux, Te Kuiti.
Getting tough
The oft-repeated "tough on crime" demand from some politicians is frequently focused on gangs as major suppliers of illegal substances. Significant factors in crime are poverty, poor mental, physical and social health, inadequate housing, insufficient education and substance dependency.
So may we expect a crackdown on the liquor gangs, the fast-food gangs, and the gambling gangs? These place multiple outlets among the poorest and most vulnerable communities nationwide and sponsor sport and recreation programmes to positively spin their products.
These gangs also bring their most experienced lawyers to oppose council and community organisations struggling to deal with adverse effects saturation coverage of the products brings to vulnerable communities. They lobby parliamentarians relentlessly, often successfully, to avoid legislative changes that might hinder their outreach and expansion, their promotion and their profits.
These gangs seem unmoved by the nation's epidemics of obesity or addiction, continually targeting the most vulnerable among us. By far the best way to deal with crime is to take all reasonable steps to empower a healthy, free, happy community and get tough on those organisations and industries legal or illegal that undermine this essential humanitarian purpose.
John Marcon, Te Kauwhata.
Proper facilities
More than 20 years of neglect of our mental institutions by respective governments has brought about the upsurge in mentally unwell currently creating concern in our communities.
The millions of taxpayer money the Government will undoubtedly waste on endless commissions of inquiry, lengthy commissions of inquiry reports, and the endless and costly meetings in the process when the solution is as plain as the noses on their faces.
All the mental institutions, which, in ignorance, governments tore down, must be replaced, or in some cases renovated so these individuals can be kept off our streets, not five or 10 years hence but as of right now.
Only then will New Zealand citizens feel safe as they go about their daily activities.
Restoring the dysfunctional relationship that exists between our schools, mental health professionals and the police also would go a long way in resolving the problem.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Winter ills
This current emergency department overload isn't a new phenomenon, it is indeed an annual event. It is winter, and this increases those winter ailments.
We will never know whether strategies to manage a Covid surge came to pass. It seems that a surge did not eventuate, rather, lingered for the past two years it would seem.
Some of us need to realise that doctors don't cure us; they give expert advice and guidance.
It is the patient who needs to heed that advice and use the tools that all health professionals have at their disposal, to enable their patient to heal.
John Ford, Taradale.
Getting better
I heartily agree with C. G. Marnewick (NZ Herald, June 22) regarding disorderly wards in hospitals. It's been going on for a long time.
Years ago, my husband was in Auckland Hospital and the patient opposite had a continual flow of visitors all day and evening - with a noisy radio. Food was being passed around and unruly kids throwing apple cores all over the place - they thought it was really funny. Patients are there to receive treatment and be able to rest and hopefully get better without these selfish patients and their visitors not respecting this.
Not having visited the hospital recently, I wonder if the "smokers"- patients in their pyjamas - are still by the front entrance, coughing and smoking in all weather. They should be sent home to enable room for a person who needs a bed and who would appreciate the space now available to them.
P. Salvador, Hobsonville.
