Kapiti asks for a hospital

Calls are growing for a public hospital to be built on the Kapiti Coast, with backers saying the district’s distance from Wellington is putting patients at risk.

‘‘We get strong messages about the ‘golden hour’ being so important after a stroke,’’ said Disability Access Advisory Group spokeswoman Sue Emerali.

‘‘Our golden hour is spent getting to Wellington Hospital.’’

Emerali is one of the people behind a petition calling for a community hospital on the coast, which has a growing population – currently sitting at 53,000.

The petition, launched on July 12, has already garnered 10,000 signatures, and will continue until it is handed to the incoming Government after September’s election.

Kapiti Mayor K Gurunathan said the area was lagging in medical services, and it had a ‘‘critical need’’ for a 24-hour emergency service.

The Kapiti Health Clinic, which offers only outpatient services, was not enough, he said. ‘‘Obviously, it’s not coping enough, because it’s already chocka.’’

Emerali said fear of being cut off from Wellington Hospital in a disaster was a reason cited by many who signed the petition.

‘‘Give us the infrastructure to be prepared. Kapiti is not Wellington.’’

There were no medical centres open in Kapiti after 10pm – something that worried local residents. ‘‘People, especially children, are always sick at night and it’s too far to go.’’

Otaki residents were currently zoned for Palmerston North Hospital, which she said needed to change. ‘‘When they get the expressway finished, it will be 12 minutes for Otaki people to travel to Paraparaumu, instead of an hour to Palmerston North.’’

Wellington Free Ambulance executive manager of clinical services Paul Fake said Kapiti residents were not missing out on the golden hour – the first hour after a traumatic brain injury, when emergency treatment is most likely to be successful.

‘‘We’re already providing 24/7 coverage through our ambulance station based there,’’ he said.

Direct admission to hospital care, paramedics and the emergency helicopter were all available for Kapiti patients in the case of major trauma.

‘‘We’re very much aware of time in the Kapiti area, and we’re pretty well set up to manage these patients.’’

However, Kapiti Coast Grey Power president Kevin Burrows echoed Emerali’s comments about the golden hour, saying: "It takes well over an hour for an ambulance to get from Kapiti to Wellington.

‘‘Kapiti is now the size of a city, and many areas with fewer residents have access to 24/7 care.’’

Gurunathan said Capital & Coast District Health Board figures showed Kapiti residents travelled to 40,000 appointments at Wellington and Kenepuru hospitals in the past year, and he expected numbers to rise as the population grew.

‘‘We have particular needs with more than 26 per cent of our population over 65 years old. You can’t talk about growth while ignoring the services.’’

DHB spokeswoman Rachel Haggerty said the board was committed to delivering services and supporting communities.

‘‘Increasing demand for health services, both through our hospitals and in the community, means we must invest resources in the right services, in the right place, at the right time.

‘‘We also provide outreach services in Kapiti for around 18 [medical] specialities, as well as diagnostic services, which can be done in the community and do not require a visit to hospital.

‘‘We are continually reassessing our region’s needs and looking at what investments we can make to ensure our communities remain well-serviced and can access the health services they require.’’