Charity hospital fundraising effort reaches $100K mark
To begin the refit of the hospital building, formerly the Clifton Club Inn, off Armagh St, donated by the Invercargill Licensing Trust in February, the charity hospital board has to raise a total of $500,000. She was surprised to receive a phone call from charity hospital board member Melissa Vining, whose husband, Blair, died in October last year of bowel cancer. His public fight for better healthcare access in the South garnered national attention and he was a driving force in the creation of the Southland Charity Hospital Trust. Mrs Brown said she hoped the planned new hospital would provide earlier diagnosis and treatment options for future patients. The Southland Charity Hospital had $500,000 in the bank before the "buy a brick" campaign was launched and the trust needed to match that before it could proceed with the physical work.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
School holidays provide fillip for Air NZ
PHOTO: ODT FILESAir New Zealand expects to fly more passengers to Queenstown during the school holidays than it did last year. "We had anticipated a slower recovery, closer to 55%, so it’s quite a material amount better than we anticipated." "With Queenstown having such a great breadth and variety of product, this is where we’re getting a lot of customers." "They’re all very aware that once we get through this peak of the school holidays, we’re going to have another period where we’re going to have to stimulate the local economy again." When a transtasman bubble was announced by the Government, the airline would resume international flights into Queenstown "as soon as possible".
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Pint-sized library a labour of love
Waitaki district libraries digital services and reference librarian Debbie Price- Ewen with her book nook. PHOTOS: REBECCA RYANA tiny library within the Oamaru Public Library has been capturing the imaginations of visitors. Created during lockdown by digital services and reference librarian Debbie Price-Ewen, the incredibly detailed diorama of a miniature library, or "book nook", has been on display for the past week. It started as a lockdown project for Mrs Price-Ewen, who was missing the library and was inspired by a miniature armchair she created about three years ago. "I was thinking more and more about how much I was missing the library and — voila," she said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Rubber sellers open new Dunedin store
When he finished his studies in Dunedin, Mr Ng returned to Malaysia where he worked in a laboratory testing and certifying rubber for Michelin tyres. "We grew up with rubber," Mrs Ng said. So when the Dunedin City Council bought the site their old Para Rubber store was in in South Dunedin and the franchise agreement came to an end, what were they going to do? Well, open another rubber store. The store would sell rubber parts to a range of tradespeople and businesses — including Farra Engineering and the University of Otago.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Ecosanctuary ventures into mall
Organisers said several hundred people had attended the Orokonui Ecosanctuary’s "Odyssey" event, in the Meridian Mall, between 10am and 2pm. "It was a celebration of everything we love about living in the wildlife capital of New Zealand," ecosanctuary ambassador Kahu Mackenzie said. University of Otago zoology PhD candidate Joe Altobelli examines a rare Maude Island frog at a New Zealand International Science Festival event in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin, yesterday. PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSONShe was also grateful the science festival team had enabled the event to happen. Sylvie Haig (9), of Dunedin, encounters a prickly stick insect at a science festival event featuring Orokonui Ecosanctuary.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Patients, nature at heart of clinic redesign
The $4million replacement of Ashburn’s main wing is part of an $8million revamp of the clinic’s facilities, which includes earthquake strengthening, asbestos removal and renovations. The location of the new main wing has also caused some design issues, being right beside a massive, historic sequoia tree. "The patients have been involved right from the beginning, as much as they were interested in it," Ms Lammers said. "We have people here at different stages of their treatment, and those who have been here for a while are instrumental in helping new admissions," Ms Lammers said. "We have salvaged some of the old windows and some kauri window shutters, and some old wallpaper which we will frame," Ms Lammers said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
No detail yet on effects of one-way changes
Nick SargentThe public will not know how changes to Dunedin’s central city one-way system could affect traffic flows through the city until after public engagement on the project ends next week. A multi-agency group, including the NZ Transport Agency and Dunedin City and Otago Regional Councils, is consulting on whether to overhaul the way traffic moves through the central city, as preparations are made to build a new hospital. On June 19, a spokeswoman for the group confirmed the group had the information but said it was not ready for public review. "We have only just received the city centre traffic modelling information you asked for and need to review it before releasing it," she said. Earlier this week, the Otago Daily Times reported two-thirds of responses so far to a survey on changes to the central city one-way system wanted it to remain as it is.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Rape trauma linked to breathing problems
Photo: ODT filesSevere psychological trauma may cause adults to develop breathing problems, University of Otago researchers have found. The researchers linked rape with late-onset asthma diagnosis in women and "dysfunctional breathing" in men and women. Dysfunctional breathing, also known as hyperventilation syndrome, involves breathing too deeply or too rapidly. Both male and female victims of rape were more likely to have dysfunctional breathing at 38 years of age than other participants in the study. "We need to investigate whether other forms of sexual, physical and psychological trauma are also associated with breathing pattern disorders."
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Hepatitis C drugs appear to help virus sufferers
Hazel HealHospital trials of drugs used to treat hepatitis C patients, driven by a Dunedin campaigner, have been lauded after improving survival in Covid-19 patients. The results of three trials in Iran of drugs sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir show significantly faster rates of recovery and improved survival for patients hospitalised with the virus. Ms Heal, also a campaigner for hepatitis C treatment after her own experience with it, used her connections with the fellowship to create links between medical professionals and researchers, and attract fundraisers. The drug combination, which Ms Heal had taken herself, already has a high profile regarding the treatment of hepatitis C patients. After 14 days of treatment, 94% of patients taking sofosbuvir/daclatasvir showed clinical recovery versus 70% on a control treatment.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Southland leaders to press Tiwai case
However, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said yesterday he "heard a very definitive statement from Rio Tinto about its closure". "The members of the mayoral forum are urging both Rio Tinto and Government to engage and explore all avenues before this becomes irretrievable. When asked what the mayors could do to help Rio Tinto achieve better prices, he replied they could "facilitate conversation between parties". Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Mr Robertson and other party leaders will visit Southland next week. Southland Chamber of Commerce board president Neil McAra said the visit by both party leaders was an opportunity to present "Southland’s case".
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Stimulus funds about more than recovery
PHOTO: REBECCA RYANMaking the Waitaki district better than it was before Covid-19 is the aim of three new funds. The new funds are part of the council’s $2 million support and stimulus package, announced in March. The $300,000 community resilience fund was available to provide support or create additional services in the community, such as projects to increase social cohesion, community resilience and wellbeing. The council’s fund would be a "last resort", when they had exhausted all other sources of funding. The $2 million support and stimulus fund had also been used to bring forward council projects, such as the digitisation of thousands of property files.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Long-missing medal returned to family
Huia Ockwell presents a British War Medal to Margaret McMaster, whose uncle William Manson served in World War 1. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHA war medal long forgotten is at last in the hands of a Dunedin woman whose uncle was killed just before World War 1 ended. Corporal William Manson died five days before the Armistice was declared.PHOTO: SUPPLIEDHe survived such battles as Messines, Passchendaele and Bapaume. The British War Medal 1914-1918 recognised the successful conclusion of World War 1. Mr Ockwell, a retired army officer, said he received the British War Medal from a friend at the Mosgiel retirement village, former school principal Peter Bodkin.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Milestone for hospital department
Maniototo Hospital quality improvement administrator Annie Matravers and Central Otago Health Services radiographer Teressa Hanning will be working closer together in the future. In addition, the department had secured an ACC Hi Tech imaging contract, enabling Dunstan Hospital to accept computed tomography (CT) ACC referrals from specialists. It also meant Central Otago Health Services could be affiliated to Southern Cross Health Insurance for CT imaging, she said. "Everyone in the radiology department and wider team at Dunstan Hospital has worked incredibly hard to achieve this accreditation since Central Otago Health Services took over the running of the department two years ago." CT and ultrasound clinics continue to operate out of Dunstan Hospital for the Maniototo community, Dr de Luc said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Cancer progress needs perseverance
Melissa ViningIt is not difficult to understand why Southland cancer care advocate Melissa Vining is frustrated. Their advocacy was influential in the decision to set up a national Cancer Control Agency. She told the board this week she recognised that some triaging might be required, but the DHB seemed to be rationing services. This might provide some relief, but what is being done to address the relationships which Mr Fleming told the board remain a critical issue? Mr Fleming confirmed earlier this year the board was working with healthcare education consultants the Cognitive Institute but said any support in place for individual employees was confidential.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC
Hunt making most of opportunity given by Nuggets
He had not expected the Nuggets to take him with their third-round pick in the draft. "I’ve found it pretty good," he said. "We kind of took a downturn those last couple of games, but we need to figure it out again." Getting its whole squad involved was important too, Hunt noting the drop in bench points in recent games. They have three wins and three losses, but two wins this weekend could lift it to equal at the top of the table.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 10, 2020 16:30 UTC