Why won’t hospital butt in? Letters

This eyesore, pictured right, met me outside the west doors at Southland (Kew) Hospital on May 16.

For years smoking has been a no-no at New Zealand hospitals and there is adequate signage around the grounds.

Unfortunately, some patients, visitors and staff alike still do it.

As a regular patient I see other patients and visitors smoking outside the main entrance and in the carpark. Most of the smokers drop their butts (I thought littering was also a no-no in New Zealand).

Patients, visitors and staff are also smoking outside the west doors. I have witnessed them all chatting while having their cigarettes.

I have approached staff and management about smoking practices on the grounds before to be told they know it happens, they know it’s not ideal, they’re trying to police it; they have programmes in place encouraging staff members to quit and they encourage patients to quit but if people still want to smoke they can’t do anything about it.

They say they encourage people to abide by the signage and smoke off the grounds but they’ve also told me that, at night, when patients want to go out for a smoke they encourage them to do so outside the west doors for their safety (patients are perfectly safe as doctors/nurses are out there smoking with them).

I would like to know what Kew Hospital will do, effective immediately, about this issue also about doctors/ nursing staff caring for patients in clothes reeking of smoke.

As an asthmatic with smoke [being] my main trigger (even when embedded in clothing) I struggle to catch my breath. I would like to hear from the hospital how they will assist ‘‘secondhand smokers’’.

KATHRYN MACGREGOR

Southern District Health Board’s Public Health South team leader Anne McSoriley replies:

Smoking is a significant burden for our community, and we all need to work together to achieve our goal of being smokefree by 2025.

SDHB has a smokefree policy for the grounds around its buildings and rely on staff reminding anyone who is smoking of this policy. We recognise tobacco is a very addictive substance and many people have been struggling to manage this addiction.

All patients are asked on admission if they use tobacco and then offered support if they wish to make an attempt to stop and referred to our local services. Nicotine replacement therapy is available in all areas to assist any patient who requires it and this helps reduce the cravings people have when they are not using tobacco.

Support is also offered to staff if they wish to make an attempt to stop smoking and there is an option of faceto-face assistance from our local stop smoking service.

As with any policy, there are many visitors, patients and staff who respect and abide by it and at times other people ignore these policies.

For anyone wanting help to stop smoking they can contact the Southern Stop Smoking Service. The service is free. Phone (03) 214 5260 or free phone 0800 925 242, email the service at admin@stopsmoking.nz, or refer online at www.kaitahu.maori.nz/ online-referrals Here we go again. A new vision for the rebuild of the museum.

Will this include an art gallery or will that become another project?

Back in his day, Darren Ludlow spent many thousands of our money on plans to redevelop the museum and art gallery. It was a two-phase plan.

Phase one: Construct a new building on the old tennis courts to the west of the pyramid. Phase two: Refurbish the Pyramid to 100 per cent of the building code.

These plans are available and have been paid for.

Why do we keep on repeating every step and spending more and more ratepayers’ money for a similar outcome?

STEVE WILLS Southland Museum and Art Gallery chairwoman Toni Biddle replies:

Previous work around the proposed redevelopment of Southland Museum and Art Gallery (SMAG) did not gain traction for various reasons, including funding constraints.

However, this work is being considered by Tim Walker as part of his wide-ranging review of SMAG’s organisation, facilities and operations.

Part of his brief is to work out what our future museum’s role is, including where arts sit, before thinking about how it will be housed.

As a board, we are confident we are on the right path to ensure Invercargill and Southland have a 21st century museum, on the existing site, that we can be proud of for decades to come. There are still 134 children in indefinite detention on Nauru.

They are developing post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health issues. .

Bring them to New Zealand and stop punishing them.

DR SUE CORY

Australia After hearing the discussion on TVNZ last evening, I decided to test my fibre broadband speed.

We have believed it to be slow for some time.

We were right.

At 7.45 last evening it was approximately 60 per cent of the speed we enjoyed over copper.

I am so pleased the cost is only a dollar or so dearer but why are we paying even that much more for an inferior service?

(And we have lost our fax.)

KEITH COOK

It is hard to believe we are almost half way through 2018. A lot has certainly happened in the eight months since this Government formed, and I am sure there will be a lot more in store for the next 28 months.

On Monday, we finally received some clarity from this Government regarding the future of farmers affected by Mycoplasma bovis.

The decision of phased eradication of the disease brings certainty for our farmers.

Both industry and Government seem to have confidence in the prospect of eradication, a confidence supported by international scientists, to deem this eradication process the best way forward.

I hope that the Government’s response to growing pressure to speed up the compensation process will make a real impact to farmers facing stock culls, with plans to make interim payments within a two week period of culling.

It is important we continue to support each other through this process, as many of us continue to

‘‘Let’s keep face huge emotional and financial stress.

checking in

I want to commend the

Rural Support Trust for the

and good work they have been doing.

supporting

I have been busy keeping the Lumsden Maternity

each other.’’ Hospital issue in the spotlight.

Last week, I organised a meeting between the National Party leader Simon Bridges and the directors of the hospital.

We are expecting a decision on the fate of the hospital at the end of next year.

I am excited for the first reading of my Private Member’s Bill in June that will provide better financial security for our most vulnerable members of the community, foster children.

I am also responding to immigration difficulties that many businesses are experiencing and supporting the fight to ensure the Te Anau rescue helicopter base is retained.

I urge all Clutha-Southlanders affected by these and other issues to remain connected with friends, family and neighbours.

Let’s keep checking in and supporting each other.

These are difficult times to say the least, and it is okay to ask for help.

One of the best things about the south is that our communities still rally together during hardship, and eventually the calm will return.

It is now, undisputedly clear that the Government’s policies will have negative impacts on Clutha-Southland.

The Government’s $2.8b fees-free bribe to increase tertiary student numbers, has proven to be one of the biggest wastes of your money in recent history with student numbers forecast to decline next year.

What’s worse, is that universities will receive no increase in funding for the first time in two decades.

The cost of voting for Winston Peters includes $900m for diplomats, over health services.

Primary industries also faced one of the biggest cuts, with $130.5m less funding.