A Dunedin woman who was told her 50-year-old partner was "minutes away from death" before his surgery during the medical radiation technologists' strike in November 2006 wants strike measures by health professionals scrutinised.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said yesterday deaths would occur if strikes were allowed to continue as they did now.
"The Minister of Health needs to have a good look at what's allowed at the moment."
She and her partner complained to Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson over the treatment received by the man when he attended Dunedin Hospital on Saturday, November 18, with sluggish speech and difficulty balancing.
He had fallen twice at home.
It was established he needed an MRI head scan, but because his life was not considered under threat at that stage, he did not meet the criteria for the life-preserving services cover being provided under the strike.
Because the scan could not be done, nobody knew her partner was in a potentially life-threatening position.
She recalled watching her partner deteriorate during the next 24 hours.
He became more sluggish, had nausea, kept repeating himself in conversation and, at one point, when she was not present, fell out of bed and hit his head.
"I can remember the whole thing vividly. I would not want other people to go through this."
Eventually, concern about his deteriorating condition meant he did receive an MRI scan about 4pm on the Sunday.
The neurosurgeon noted that delaying the scan at that stage could result in death.
She remembered being told her partner was minutes away from death - "not even half an hour away" - and that when he woke up he would be disabled.
She believed it was only her partner's willpower and stubbornness that had pulled him through.
The man said his recovery was quicker than expected and he had returned to work at the end of February last year.
