The Ministry of Health has been accused of ''ducking responsibility'' on the hospital eye appointment ''disaster''. The ophthalmology pressures at the Southern District Health Board have caused some patients to go partially blind while waiting for an appointment. When contacted, the Ministry of Health said only Southern, Nelson Marlborough and Counties Manukau had problems managing demand for age-related macular degeneration patients. The defunct National Health Committee had started to look at ophthalmology pressures before it was scrapped by the Government in March. In Parliament yesterday, Labour health spokeswoman Annette King asked Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman about the patients who had suffered partial sight lost at SDHB.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 01, 2016 17:09 UTC