Eileen Goodwin

America neurosurgeon Dr Deepa Soni says her baby's middle name, Dunedin, is a big talking point among friends and family.

Dunedin Hospital emergency department nurses (from left) Anna Doherty, Anne Daniels, Sarah Ursan, and Julia Davidson await the observation unit's first patient yesterday afternoon, while charge nurse manager Justin Moore surveys the $2.7 million facility.

Those wishing to shorten their lives with euthanasia are trying to control what should be a natural process, Otago Community Hospice palliative care registrar Dr Louise Bremer says.

The Southern District Health Board will receive funding for three cancer co-ordination nurses, its share of a national initiative aiming to support and guide cancer sufferers throughout their treatment.

Eating disorders are some of the "great chronic health problems of the 21st century", for which there is little effective treatment, United States kidney specialist Prof David Weiner says.

For practical, strategic, and moral reasons, New Zealand cannot "up and go" in the wake of the deaths of three soldiers in Afghanistan, Prof Robert Patman, of the University of Otago, says.

It is hard to accept the rationing of health spending which results in some patients being denied treatment, retiring emergency department nurse Jane Nimmo says.

Dunedin Hospital was at 100% capacity yesterday, but a Southern District Health Board spokesman says the hospital is coping.

Whether it is right that nearly a quarter of University of Otago medical students in 2010 were from the richest 10% of homes is a question that needs to be asked, health sciences pro-vice-chancellor Prof Peter Crampton told a public health seminar yesterday.

Pharmac is going ahead with controversial changes to diabetes-management tools which save $10 million a year, a move labelled "dangerous" by Labour MP Maryan Street.

Moss (5) and Poppy (3) Barton, of Dunedin, tuck into their fruit of choice yesterday - banana for Poppy and an apple for brother Moss.

A Dunedin Hospital hand-cleaning audit found only 53% of staff were washing or sterilising their hands, Southern District Health Board figures show.

A blogger's claim that Cadbury is winding down its Dunedin operation has been labelled by the company as disappointing and irresponsible.