Lack of neurosurgeons in NZ ‘alarming’
DUNEDIN’S only neurosurgeon says neurosurgery in New Zealand is in crisis.
The country desperately needed more neurosurgeons, Ahmad Taha said yesterday.
Patients in the South were particularly at risk, and he called on the Government to help.
‘‘It is alarming, and I keep saying in many meetings that New Zealand has to be proactive, not reactive.’’
In 10 years’ time, up to 40% of the country’s 22 neurosurgeons would either be retired or have left the country, and there would be noone to cover their loss.
Training a New Zealander to consultant standard would take 10 to 15 years.
‘‘This is a big problem,’’ Syrianborn Mr Taha said yesterday.
‘‘We need definite help.
‘‘We need people to come here and work in Dunedin, but it takes two years to employ somebody from overseas and retain them here with the current requirements on [sic] the Medical Council under immigration,’’ Mr Taha said.
New Zealand had difficulty employing and retaining surgeons from overseas, Mr Taha, the only neurosurgeon employed by the Southern District Health Board, said.
The country did not have the medical support it should have, Mr Taha said.
The lifestyle in Australia and better salaries made it more attractive to work there.
‘‘It is difficult to continue doing my job without having support. Christchurch are doing what they can, but it’s not going to be enough or sufficient to prevent people from having serious problems here.
‘‘If I go tomorrow, I don’t think there will be any reasonable plan to cover the unit from Christchurch.
‘‘It’s a fact that everybody knows. Time is crucial in neurosurgery and with the weather in New Zealand it can stop flights many times and this will affect patients’ care.’’
He had a big workload, but there was no other choice.
‘‘Either I do my job, or people will lose lives, or they’ll lose body functions.’’
He had to be called in sometimes when he was offduty, and if he was out of town then patients had to travel to Christchurch, which was ‘‘definitely a risk’’.
While the job and its workload had been tough, saving lives had been the most rewarding thing about his work, Mr Taha said.
‘‘When I see somebody that has woken up after being unconscious from a blood clot, and when I see somebody that I have done an aneurysm surgery on and they have survived, and you see the family and how much they are grateful, I don’t think any feeling in the world can match that.
‘‘The best gift I had here was from a guy, a GP from Wellington, who gave me the New Zealand flag three years ago because I saved his son after he fell and had a head injury.
‘‘You know, I felt at that time, I’m really part of this society. I’m really one of you. And people have said to me ‘You are one of us’.’’
He called on neurosurgeons around the world to come to New Zealand to work.
‘‘This is the place where people need you, even for like five years or a few years of somebody’s life.
‘‘Come to save these people because they do deserve to have excellent service.’’ — RNZ
❛ Either I do my job, or people will lose lives, or they’ll lose body functions