9.00 am
Greenlane Hospital's PR machine has swung into full motion to deal with the babies' hearts scandal rocking the profession.
Having set up a 'Heart Hotline', the hospital is now talking money.
A spokesperson for the Auckland District Health Board, Brenda Saunders, said those families who wanted to collect their babies' organs
would be given financial assistance to cover the agreed travel expenses of two people and burial of the heart.
Brenda Saunders said a maximum reimbursement of $500 would be paid to families in the Auckland area, while those outside Auckland would be eligible for assistance of up to $2,000.
The hospital yesterday told a dozen families that it has their babies' hearts, after around 1900 calls had come in to its Heart Hotline.
Clinical staff have been making the calls in order to provide full information to the families who did not give consent to the hospital to keep the hearts.
Brenda Saunders said half of those families contacted opted to leave the hearts with the hospital and the other half would collect them.
Paediatric cardiac surgeon, Kirsten Finucane, said staff would be busy over the next week responding to every inquiry.
Dr Finucane said non-urgent surgery and clinics were being cancelled next week so staff could deal with the crisis.
She said there was a lot of work involved in each inquiry as the calls had to be matched up with heart library and hospital records.
Dr Finucane said checks must also be made to ensure those people who ring the Heart Hotline are next of kin.
* The 'Heart Hotline' phone number is: 0800 746 445
