Working from home could be way of the future

YOU have to hand it to Covid19. It has totally solved our parking problems and put an end to traffic congestion.

When the crisis is over and the pandemic is under control, we should build on this and work from home as much as possible. I would be very happy to pop into work a couple of times a week and do the rest in the comfort of my home, with the stereo on and a decent cup of tea — and a telephone and computer to interact with whomever I need to.

I am a hospital physician. While seeing patients in person is a significant part of my job, a lot of my time is spent checking laboratory and radiology results, dictating letters and other ‘‘paperwork’’. Through the magic of the internet I can do most of that from home. And now that we are getting the hang of videoconferencing, we can have successful meetings too.

There would be an increase in home costs such as power and technology, which employers may need to subsidise, but there would be less need for office space at the workplace and many other savings. In the medical context, it seems the new hospital won’t be big enough for all the staff to be there at the same time anyway.

If working from home works for medicine, there must be a lot of other jobs where it will work too. So let’s go to work as little as possible, and save the roads and parking places for those who cannot stay at home. We might even save the planet.

Graeme HammondTooke

Halfway Bush

Hospital orderlies

IT is great to hear of people in essential services being given the accolades they so rightly deserve. Many of these people are our lowestpaid workers.

It may be only with the current situation that their true worth is noticed and acknowledged.

One group of essential workers I have not heard mentioned are the orderlies in our hospitals. These men and women work over the entire hospital. Their responsibilities are too numerous to mention but include close patient contact, transporting patients to all wards and departments within the hospital.

They do this with good humour and kindness as part of the health team keeping the hospital functioning.

Good wishes and gratitude to the orderlies!

Jane Nimmo

Wanaka .....................................

BIBLE READING:

The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord. — Proverbs 20.27.