Health centre given masonic support
New toiletry kits and two new pulse oximeters were donated to Gore Health by the Southern Masonic Trust this past week (from left) Masonic Charitable Trust secretary treasurer Christine Baird, Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler, Masonic Charitable Trust chairman Neil O'Rorke, past Southland District grandmaster Russell Falconer. PHOTO: GERRIT DOPPENBERG
Forget the smoke and mirrors, the secret is out, the Freemasons in Southland are a charitable bunch.
The Southland Masonic Charitable Trust has once again reached into its coffers, this time helping out Gore Health by donating over $4000 to the health centre.
This money was used to purchase two new pulse oximeters, used to measure oxygen saturation levels in a patient's blood, as well as their heart rate.
Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler said the equipment will serve a valuable purpose both in the health centre and on the go.
"We use these in transport so it's critical we have these on the road, for monitoring.
"We need one [here at the health centre], and one to go with St John and the patient."
Mr Metzler said the Masonic Trust had always been very charitable, helping out the health centre for the past 15 years.
The organisation also donates emergency toiletry kits, for when people are admitted and may not be able to head home to grab a toothbrush and a comb.
The Southland Masonic Trust Chairman Neil O'Rorke said he was always happy to help out Gore Health.
Mr O'Rorke said the organisation was less smoke and mirrors these days and more of a charitable group in New Zealand.
"We're trying to get Freemasonry out there more, it's not a secret society ...
"Freemasons New Zealand gives away millions of dollars every year, with $20,000 to $30,000 just here in Southland," he said.
gerrit.doppenberg@alliedpress.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Drive to keep hospital shuttle going
Oamaru to Dunedin shuttle driver Trevor Goodin outside Dunedin Hospital in 2023. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Trevor Goodin is as busy as ever, helping people get to hospital appointments in Dunedin. His donation-based minibus shuttle service runs five to six days a week, taking people to Dunedin Hospital for appointments. The service also did trips to Timaru and Christchurch when needed, Mr Goodin said. However, at one stage the shuttle service was in danger of folding. When he first started in June 2023, he was told by Hato Hone St John a service from the organisation was "about a year away". "That was when I said 'I'll put a shuttle on — we'll make it donation-based until they came on board'. "June last year, they didn't, and I had to make a decision: do I keep going? What do I do?" He said the decision to keep going was easy, but making the shuttle viable was the issue. "We couldn't not get people there. The bottom line is we've got to get people to their appointments because they were cancelling their appointments. "It looked like I was possibly going to have to close it down at one stage. It just reached a point where it just wasn't viable to keep going and the pockets weren't deep enough." Observatory Village began sponsoring first and then the Freemasons joined. Lodge Oamaru Kilwinning No 82 Right Worshipful Master Bruce Cawley said it was a very worthy cause to support. "We didn't think it was very fair [Mr Goodin] having to fork out all the time. So the lodge got fully involved in helping him to get the whole service running. "Between our lodge and our grand lodge we managed to pull enough money together to be able to keep him going. "Anything we can do to raise money to keep this shuttle running until such time as St John come on board, we will try and do," Mr Cawley said. The shuttle was all about taking care of Oamaruvians, he said. "It's a service that is required here because we have no bus service to Dunedin until late in the afternoon and that's far too late. "Oamaru's main population is elderly. They do need to get to hospital. A lot of people don't have their licence to be able to drive any more." Mr Goodin pays for all maintenance, insurance and running costs, while sponsorship pays for the drivers and fuel. "I'm extremely thankful for what the lodge and everyone has done," Mr Goodin said. "We've just got to keep going."
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
After-hours boost details awaited
The devil will be in the details for regional health centres around the South following the announcement of an increase in government funding for after-hours services. The government on Sunday announced more than $164 million over four years would be spent to expand urgent and after-hours healthcare services across the country. Health Minister Simeon Brown said the initiative would mean 98% of New Zealanders would be able to receive in-person urgent care within one hour's drive of their homes. It would result in a new urgent and after-hours service in Dunedin and other services would be offered in other parts of the South. A document outlining changes said the Invercargill after-hours service would next year expand to also provide daytime services. Improved services would also be rolled out across rural and remote communities in places such as Balclutha and Stewart Island. Clutha Health First chief executive Gary Reed said the Balclutha facility welcomed the announcement, although details remained scant at this early stage. "Any new monies are warmly received in these financially constrained times. We are waiting for further information from the ministry with respect to how and when the monies will be allocated, as well as what the ministry's expectations are with regards to it," Mr Reed said. The Invercargill after-hours clinic closed in March last year as it struggled to get doctors but reopened within a few days. WellSouth Primary Health Network chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said he was looking forward to receiving more details about the after-hours healthcare package and what it would mean for Invercargill. "This news paves a way for a more sustainable service in Dunedin as well as the Invercargill after-hours service," he said. "We all know the pressure on health practitioners and other staff to support after hours, with clinicians often working day jobs as well as after hours to sustain the service. "It's a good result and now we need to get on and plan the work." Up to 30 rural and remote South Island services will be improved, alongside a further seven provincial and urban services in 2027. This includes places such as Haast and Gore. Gore Health chief executive Karl Meltzer said he was glad to hear of the increase in funding but, like everything in health, "the devil is in the details." He said potentially it was exciting, and it could help alleviate urgent-care issues. "But we do not know what it is going to be. I have been making a few calls to Wellington but have not had any calls back," he said. Gore Health had a round-the-clock emergency department which allowed Gore GPs to be able to go to bed by 9pm, he said. That sort of coverage was great for a population of 20,000. He said the interesting thing would be whether the money was tagged to the Gore Health emergency department. HealthCentral Alexandra general manager Jenaya Smith said HealthCentral began lobbying for adequate and equitable after-hours and urgent-care funding prior to opening its urgent-care centre in July last year. "We are currently providing an extremely well-utilised walk-in service for both residents of Central Otago and visitors to the area and are open from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week," he said. She was hopeful any funding boost would benefit patients accessing urgent-care/after-hours service but had not yet seen any information. Central Otago Health Services Ltd was contracted to provide urgent GP services between 6pm-8am for HealthCentral-enrolled patients. Comparatively small numbers of its patients accessed this service, she said. Central Otago Health Services Ltd could not be contacted. Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher welcomed the news Oamaru would have its after-hours services improved. "The after-hours emergency department has always been a critical service provided by Oamaru Hospital, so it is great to see that Health NZ is making further improvements to support our wider Waitaki community. A significant proportion of our population will benefit and, in a time when government funding is under huge pressure, it's awesome to hear that this service will be improved." — APL
Otago Daily Times
30-04-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Health centre given masonic support
New toiletry kits and two new pulse oximeters were donated to Gore Health by the Southern Masonic Trust this past week (from left) Masonic Charitable Trust secretary treasurer Christine Baird, Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler, Masonic Charitable Trust chairman Neil O'Rorke, past Southland District grandmaster Russell Falconer. PHOTO: GERRIT DOPPENBERG Forget the smoke and mirrors, the secret is out, the Freemasons in Southland are a charitable bunch. The Southland Masonic Charitable Trust has once again reached into its coffers, this time helping out Gore Health by donating over $4000 to the health centre. This money was used to purchase two new pulse oximeters, used to measure oxygen saturation levels in a patient's blood, as well as their heart rate. Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler said the equipment will serve a valuable purpose both in the health centre and on the go. "We use these in transport so it's critical we have these on the road, for monitoring. "We need one [here at the health centre], and one to go with St John and the patient." Mr Metzler said the Masonic Trust had always been very charitable, helping out the health centre for the past 15 years. The organisation also donates emergency toiletry kits, for when people are admitted and may not be able to head home to grab a toothbrush and a comb. The Southland Masonic Trust Chairman Neil O'Rorke said he was always happy to help out Gore Health. Mr O'Rorke said the organisation was less smoke and mirrors these days and more of a charitable group in New Zealand. "We're trying to get Freemasonry out there more, it's not a secret society ... "Freemasons New Zealand gives away millions of dollars every year, with $20,000 to $30,000 just here in Southland," he said.
