Your views on the neurosurgery debate: July 29

Readers of the Otago Daily Times share their thoughts on the neurosurgery debate.

I applaud the strong support being provided by your newspaper for the campaign to retain two neurosurgeons at the Southern District Health Board to service the Otago/Southland area.

As has been so clearly emphasised by feature articles and your own editorials, retention of these clinical positions is vital for health care and patient services in our region.

A lesser but nonetheless important benefit of having full-time neurosurgeons in Dunedin is the support that they can provide for neurological research.

The University of Otago has an active and internationally prominent brain research community spread among its various science and medical departments.

These world-class neuroscience researchers have broad interests in understanding the causes of neurological disorders and in developing therapeutic strategies for treating them.

In order to develop and test practical and effective therapies, it is vital that researchers have regular interactions with clinical staff, especially neurosurgeons and their neurologist colleagues.

In this regard, it is particularly pleasing to note that one of the recently appointed neurosurgeons will have an academic position within the university alongside their clinical post at the hospital.

We as researchers strongly support the campaign to retain these vital neurosurgery positions at Dunedin Hospital.

Prof Cliff Abraham

Director, Brain Health and Repair Research Centre, University of Otago

 

I believe it is vital to retain our neurosurgery services at Dunedin Hospital.

Some years ago, I became ill and was put into hospital for further observation.

On arrival, I suffered a seizure and was discovered to have a cerebral aneurism.

Thanks to the skill of Prof Grant Gillett and his talented team, I survived the emergency operation and was able to make a complete recovery.

Without this facility in Dunedin, I would have died.

Southern New Zealanders are entitled to adequate health care.

Our medical people are fighting for us.

They deserve our support right now, in every way we can.

Margaret McCammon,

Fairfield

 

I am writing to urge the retention of the neurosurgery unit at Dunedin Hospital.

I am a health professional who had worked for the Otago District Health Board for over 30 years until my recent move to Perth.

Driving long distances here has made me think of the "Golden Hour", that time between initial trauma and medical intervention and its importance to the eventual recovery and outcome for patients.

In lots of places here, survival would be impossible; at home there is a chance and that chance should always be an option.

The dislocation of a patient away from the support of their family and friends is very negative for all involved.

The closer the service is to the population the better.

The Otago Medical School in Dunedin has a worldwide reputation for excellence so why remove a service that would ultimately lead to the downgrading of that status?

We as New Zealanders need to keep striving to maintain such centres of excellence.

It is time to put the patients and their families first.

Mary Parata

Perth [Abridged]

 

In 1944, I and other returning servicemen with head and spinal injuries found ourselves in the newly-opened neurological ward under the care of Dr Murray Falconer.

I cannot speak too highly of the wonderful treatment that we received, treatment that enabled me to enjoy a happy personal and business life in South Otago.

The doctors and nurses were highly professional and caring (I speak from experience because I married one of the nurses and she has cared for me expertly ever since).

In 1989-90, I required further treatment and had two more operations on my spine by Dr Grant Gillett, which also were very successful.

I am forever grateful for the high professional standards that were set in 1944 and carried on by their successors.

I also want to emphasise the value the ward had with medical students.

I am absolutely convinced that the situation of the ward is essential to the Otago Medical School and I would be happy to contribute in any way in the fight for the retention of that essential unit for patients and aspiring doctors.

A. W. Thomson,

Christchurch [Abridged]

 

People of Otago, wake up.

Imagine if you die, have severe disabilities or remain in a vegetative state only because of delays in neurosurgical treatment which could have been avoided?

In 1997, Cantabrians were successful in their fight to have their own cardiothoracic surgery in Christchurch.

Inconvenience of travel and being away from their loved ones were strong arguments.

The government of the day accepted the extra costs of developing this new service in Christchurch.

We have got already a neurosurgical operating theatre and qualified staff in ICU and the neurosurgery ward.

Two neurosurgeons are willing to come to Dunedin to fill the vacancies that have existed for too long.

Don't let the neurosurgical service be removed from Otago.

Peter van Tuel

Mosgiel

 

I feel compelled to write in support of retaining two neurosurgeons at the Dunedin Hospital.

In 2007, my wife collapsed and was rushed to Dunedin Hospital where she was operated on as soon as a theatre became available.

The quality of care during this time was exceptional and the skill needed was far beyond what a general surgeon could be expected to have in these crisis situations.

For my wife to have had to be flown to Christchurch would have seriously compromised the outcome.

Because she was able to receive immediate skilled attention, she is now able to live a full and rewarding life.

Peter B. Duncan

Dunedin [Abridged]

 

I was interested to read the views of the deputy prime minister and MP for Clutha-Southland, Bill English, on proposed cuts to neurological services in Dunedin (ODT, 27.7.10).

He gives only a bland, lukewarm response to the issue in two sentences.

It appears a response had to be dragged out of him by the Otago Daily Times after "a repeat of earlier requests for comment".

In his second sentence, he said, "I want to make sure my constituents get good access to this specialised service."

This is ambivalent and hardly reassuring.

For all we know, "good access" might, in his view, be emergency helicopter services to Christchurch from Clutha/Southland, let alone Dunedin.

Peter Attwooll

City Rise

 

Thank you for alerting us to the parlous state of the neurological unit, and how we are in grave danger of losing our special neurosurgical service in Dunedin.

We have written to Tony Ryall, and hope he is bombarded with letters on this.

In addition, a big thank-you to our very loyal, clever, hardworking and caring senior doctors, consultants and surgeons for speaking out so strongly to the powers that be about the necessity for this unit to remain in Otago.

Thanks in particular to Mike Hunter, Richard Bunton, Sam Bishara and John Matheson, who have set the ball rolling.

They do such sterling work for the hospital and have done so for many years.

Helen Bremner

Mosgiel