Health Matters EBOP September 2017

Whakatāne medical supplies abroad

Every six months or so Lydia Snell packs up a van loaded to the brim with unwanted medical supplies from Whakatāne Hospital bound for countries less developed than New Zealand .
It ’ s a ritual the Paediatric Liaison Nurse has been doing for around ten years , and one she never tires from .
“ I ’ m one of those people who can ’ t stand wastage . I couldn ’ t as a child and I can ’ t still . For me , it ’ s a labour of love . I ’ m passionate about helping people ,” says Lydia .
Lydia ’ s usual role , Paediatric Liaison Nurse , is working alongside a social worker to ensure children and their families in the Eastern Bay of Plenty , have access to the appropriate health interventions that they may require , both in the hospital and in the community .
Over the years she ’ s also become renowned at the hospital and within the wider community as the ‘ go-to ’ person for organising a new home for surplus medical supplies .
Lydia takes the surplus medical supplies and equipment to Auckland where they ’ re dispatched by Medical Aid Abroad ( MAA ).
“ I get calls from all over the hospital and nurses in the community too , wanting to offload medical equipment and supplies that are no longer needed . The tricky thing is finding space to store things .”
Unopened incontinence products , cord clamps , old style crutches , and walking frames are among the list of goods that are packed up . Pharmaceuticals are strictly off the list .
MAA Stores Manager Dr Mary Joku Ponifasio says , Lydia seems to have a knack of producing medical supplies that developing countries have requested , and she ’ d almost given up hope of finding .
“ Somehow she brings something that is needed for overseas which I don ’ t have available in store . Last year , a hospital in Papua New Guinea urgently needed an infant incubator . I thought of letting the PNG hospital know , that we didn ’ t have one to give , until Lydia showed up with one packed nicely in her van .”
In her most recent trip to Auckland , tucked amongst twenty pairs of old crutches and boxes of medical supplies , Lydia and her husband had squeezed in an old Steriliser machine that had been passed on from one of the Whakatāne health centres and hadn ’ t been used for some time .
Mary says she ’ d been searching for a Steriliser for two months , and there it was , “ It was like a prayer answered .”
Through MAA and people across the country like Lydia , much needed medical supplies are provided to more than thirty developing countries across the South Pacific region as well as Asia , Africa and the Middle East .
Lydia hopes to one day follow a package of medical supplies to one of the developing countries to see how they ’ re being put to good use .
Lydia and Les Snell with their van packed with medical supplies bound for developing countries .

Better information gets hip and knee patients back on their feet faster

Charles Peni working on building strength at Tauranga Hospital ’ s Physio Department after his knee replacement early this year .
Better information for Bay of Plenty patients about what to expect before , during and after total hip or knee replacements is helping them get back on their feet faster .
As part of a national programme designed to improve care for people having these operations , the BOPDHB has been providing weekly education classes at both hospitals .
At the sessions , well in advance of surgery , patients learn what to expect and what they can do to aid their recovery after surgery . They ’ re also provided with an information handbook covering every aspect of the process . Including post- surgery exercise , the ‘ do ’ s and don ’ ts ’ of how to sit and move and who to call for support once they ’ re discharged from hospital .
Maketu man Charles Peni , who had a knee replacement early this year , credits the information with getting him back on his feet faster .
“ I knew the operation was going to be a major . And I know plenty of people who ’ ve had knee replacements and who ’ ve had a slow recovery . Having education sessions and all the information at my fingertips well before my operation meant I was well prepared . I think those sessions should be compulsory .”
Charles had his operation in Whakatāne Hospital in March . After three nights in hospital he was able to go home .
Since the BOPDHB has increased the level of information and education available for total hip and knee replacement patients , the average time those patients have had to stay in hospital has dropped from 4 to 3 days . It ’ s also below the national average .
Service Improvement Programme Manager Wendy Carey says , “ Making sure patients are well informed before their surgery is really important . It helps them prepare , both physically and mentally and recover quicker which helps to reduce the risk of complications .
“ Knowing what to do and what not to do post-surgery is really important for the patient ’ s recovery .”
A survey of patients who ’ d had hip or knee replacements this year at both Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals shows having an information handbook covering every step of the process was a huge help .
91 % of those surveyed rated the handbook as highly valuable and 98 % said they felt well
prepared for their surgery and discharge from hospital having read the book .
Charles Peni is well on the recovery path . He was playing competitive tennis prior to surgery and he ’ s adamant , he ’ ll be back on the court this season .
“ I ’ m following the advice and now having physiotherapy on my knee at Tauranga Hospital . Where I live I could go to either hospital . I had my op in Whakatāne Hospital but a physio appointment came up in Tauranga , so I opted for that . It really makes no difference to me the staff have been great at both hospitals .”
Charles says his knee ’ s getting better every day . He ’ s even managed a short jog to the odd lamppost . “ I ’ ve always believed in keeping yourself fit . Some of our tennis club members are in their 80s and still going strong and I plan to do the same .”
You can read the handbook by following the link below .
http :// www . bopdhb . govt . nz / health-advice / total-hip-and-knee-replacement /