Glenda Alexander
A peaceful protest will be held at Dunedin Hospital next
Friday to draw attention to the "potentially devastating
consequences" for the South if neurosurgery services are lost
to Christchurch.
A symbolic circle of support will be formed by those taking
part in the lunchtime protest.
"The quiet format is a demonstration of the heartfelt and
reasoned messages from clinicians and ordinary people who
share a concern for the health and well-being of our
community," New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO)
representatives Glenda Alexander and Lorraine Lobb said.
The 12.15pm protest is being organised by NZNO and organisers
of the Keep Neurosurgery in Dunedin Facebook page, Associate
Prof Samuel Mann and Southern District Health Board member
Richard Thomson.
Ms Alexander said she hoped as many people as possible would
take part in the protest to show the Ministry of Health its
centralised health strategy was not supported and did not
meet regional needs and access, put patients at risk, was not
productive or economic and made "no sense at all".
The Facebook page has more than 5400 members. Prof Mann said
he had expected about 300 people to join the site.
The site had been inundated with thousands of messages of
encouragement, exhortations to keep the service in Dunedin,
and personal examples of how neurosurgery in Dunedin had
saved lives.
Site members were more than 80% female, with 69% aged 35 or
over.
Prof Mann, a professor of information technology at Otago
Polytechnic, said he wanted to increase the membership among
Otago's student population, particularly medical students.
The website complemented the Otago Daily Times' more
"in-depth" coverage.
Prof Mann said he and Mr Thomson had received an assurance
people's views on the Facebook page and other forums would be
heeded by the panel set up to review neurosurgery in the
South Island.
Panel member David Russell told the Otago Daily Times
he was uncomfortable commenting about his role on the panel,
which is yet to meet or release its terms of reference.
However, he said he was on the panel to represent the
interests of the people.
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