Alexander (Sandy) Milne

I urge all Eastern Bay residents to heed retired Whakatāne Hospital consultant physician Dr Edwards who on Wednesday strongly supported his former colleague, paediatrician Dr Chris Moyes regarding the hijacking of an MRI scanner meant for the hospital.

The MRI machine had sat in a box for two years during failed negotiations with privateers for its installation on the hospital campus.

Two years wasted; an appalling situation that has serious consequences for inpatients.

Dr Edwards asks all senior staff at our hospital to insist on an early installation of a scanner.

Dr Moyes hopes that our mayor and local MPs would make that a priority, however, we should remember that former mayor Victor Luca has for several years been leading the way, almost alone, in lobbying for this basic and essential equipment to be installed, with little support from councillors.

I suggest that every local community in our patch rises up in support of our public hospital patients.

That battle does not need to be led by doctors, but it would be great if hospital docs and GPs were shoulder to shoulder in support.

I add that Dr Edwards was amongst my strongest supporters in the early days of our ongoing campaign for a full on-site Whakatāne Hospital-based; not profit-driven, laboratory services, especially the microbiology department.

We should all remember that it was a highly supported (4149 signatures) locally organised petition that led our Ministry of Health to advise parliament that microbiology specimens should reach the lab bench within two hours.

In 2019 the Tauranga-based private lab circulated a memo advising that they will process specimens up to 72 hours after they were taken from the patient. If that standard of service is practised New Zealand-wide, no wonder there is so much misuse of antibiotics here.

I am setting up a team of local health workers (active or retired), plus others who can be briefed on the lab issue and give clout to our cause. These briefings are free. There is room for six mature participants, especially women who can suggest strategies. Refreshments provided.

Top experts here and in the USA and UK will be zoomed or messengered into the gatherings in my meeting room.

Please respond by email if interested: [email protected]