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Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Med school training great then and now
While many things about the training at the Otago Medical School may have changed over the past 150 years, many things remain the same. John Lewis compares the training of a doctor who graduated from the school in 1965 with that of a doctor who will graduate later this year. Pete Strang describes himself as a "strange specimen". He's not your typical doctor. In fact, he would make a great lead character in a medical drama, about a MacGyver-like doctor who can do Caesarean sections, using nothing but a sharp stick, a torch and some gaffer tape in the back blocks of third-world countries. Some of his experiences, working in remote parts of Papua New Guinea, are not that far off such a story line — minus the sharp stick and gaffer tape. And the reason he was able to do it was because of the fantastic training and medical connections he made while studying at the Otago Medical School. His reason for becoming a doctor was so he could do medical missionary work and, when he graduated from the medical school in 1965, everything he did was geared toward that dream. Over his 40-year career, he has worked at some of New Zealand's main hospitals, been a general practitioner, a psychiatric registrar at Dunedin Hospital and, more latterly, the director of Student Health and Counselling at the University of Otago. Interspersed with that was a significant amount of missionary work in places like the Papua New Guinea highlands and the Solomon Islands. His training at Otago had given him the skills to do medical wonders with relatively little equipment — a risk many modern doctors may not be so keen to take, he said. "There was a massive investment in anatomical knowledge at med school in our day. "I suspect with the advent of scans and so on, the emphasis these days has shifted more to the analysis of scans to work out what is happening inside. "X-rays were very helpful for us, but you still had to imagine much. "Things tend to be a bit more concrete now and somewhat sorted. There is more of an emphasis on specialisation now. "I am a strange specimen. I have done many Caesarean sections by torchlight in Papua New Guinea because of power failures — there was no-one else to do it. "I have given thousands of anaesthetics and used gases, intubation, muscle relaxants, and spinal anaesthesia. "GPs, as a rule these days, don't do anaesthesia. That is a specialist area. "I was also doing acute abdominal surgery, laparotomies, removing bits of spear and arrows as well as bullets from people, but that again is not a GP area." He said he often had a textbook out in front of him, to help him do surgery that he had not done before. "I also was on the radio a lot, getting advice from specialists, sometimes as far away as Auckland. "Plastics and burns were frightening, especially in children who fell into fires and needed skin grafts. "The help from specialists far away was fabulous — colleagueship was very, very important. "It may be feasible to do these things in a more sophisticated society, but not in a war zone, or in the developing world." By comparison, trainee doctor Yuvraj Sandhu, who will graduate from the Otago Medical School at the end of this year, said he, too, was also aiming to work in emergency medicine but prehaps without the risks that Dr Strang was forced to take. Mr Sandhu said he and his fellow students still practise procedures on each other, but he believed the things they were allowed to do to each other now, "are a lot tamer than back in Dr Strang's day". "We learnt how to put our very first intravenous cannulas in and take bloods by practising on each other. "Then we moved on to patients. But it is very limited to just that. "Any kind of procedure that might be deemed too much more invasive than a needle going into the skin is something that us, as medical students, will probably not practise on each other." He recalled how daunting it was, trying to put the needle in the right place. The thought of harming a patient is a "scary one". Dr Strang said in his day, they used to practise on each other a lot. "We would have a superviser to make sure we were not going to dislocate a shoulder or other joint. "There was a 'reality' about it." Mr Sandhu said today's students were taught a lot about practising "evidence-based medicine", rather than the more "textbook-based" learning in the internet-free era. "Medical knowledge at present is estimated to double every three to four years, which is insane to think about." While there have been many changes in the way medical students are trained at the Otago Medical School, many things remain the same. Mr Sandhu said what made Otago so special was the student culture that came with being there and having a hospital that prided itself in being not just a healthcare provider, but also a teaching institution. "What's meant the most to me are the friendships and relationships I've built. "Coming down to Otago as the only student from my high school was daunting, but the people I've met have become my best support system." Dr Strang agreed. He said the relationships and support network built during his time there remained a good source of support and information throughout his career. "The most memorable thing about training at Otago Med School was the companionship and support from fellow students — both in work and in play. "My closest friends were all climbers, and we were away climbing a lot. "It was a wonderful release from our study, and we had an understanding that if we got more than a C pass on an assessment, we had not done enough climbing/mountaineering ... and we were climbing very seriously." Both said the special feeling a doctor got from helping someone in need had also remained over the decades. Mr Sandhu said speaking with patients during some of the most significant moments of their lives was an honour. "Whether it's being in the room when a baby is born, or with someone in their final moments, it's incredibly humbling. "I went into medicine wanting to help people, but I never realised just how much impact you can have, even as a student. "Just talking to someone, making them feel heard, and learning from their stories has made this journey all the more meaningful. "I've come to believe that kindness is one of the greatest strengths a person can have." Dr Strang and Mr Sandhu are among more than 300 doctors from around the world who have returned to Dunedin for the Otago Medical School's 150th anniversary, which starts today. The event celebrates 150 years of medical teaching, clinical training, research and innovation across the three University of Otago campuses years of medical teaching, clinical training, research and innovation across the three University of Otago campuses — Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington — with a range of events, including academic sessions and tours of the present facilities. It will also provide the perfect opportunity for classes to reunite and remember what the students got up to.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
New liner visits port
The New Zealand Shipping Co's new steamer Tongariro, which berthed at Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon to discharge 1300 tons of general cargo and to load 600 bales of wool, is a powerful carrier of the flush steel-deck trip from London, via Panama and Auckland, was marked by everything running smoothly, which is not always the case on a maiden voyage. The vessel's oil fuel machinery produced on average speed of 13.8 knots to Auckland, and her officers are satisfied that but for the heavy head swell encountered since leaving Auckland she would have averaged over 14 knots down the coast. Captain White-Parsons has been entrusted with the command of the new liner, and as he is a resourceful New Zealander, and started his seafaring life in this company's sailing ships, the new Tongariro is starting her cargo-carrying career under conditions which command success. She arrived here on a draught of 25 feet, and cargo was quickly pouring from her holds into the railway trucks. To Wānaka and back A Dunedin resident, in conversation with a Daily Times reporter yesterday, stated somewhat reluctantly that until quite recently he had never been through the Central Otago district. However, he decided to view the country with his own eyes, and he returned greatly impressed with its future possibilities. The trip he undertook was to Middlemarch, via Outram, thence to Naseby, Wedderburn, Oturehua, Blackstone Hill, St Bathans, Becks, Lauder, Omakau, Ophir, Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, Pembroke, back to Cromwell, thence to Roxburgh, Miller's Flat, Beaumont, Lawrence, Waitahuna and Milton. Every minute of the trip was a real pleasure, as all the time he saw before him the great possibilities of this wonderful country — a country rich in almost everything. An octagon in the Octagon The Information Kiosk, where visitors to Dunedin may find out all they want to know about the Exhibition, and where they may also ascertain what accommodation is available, has now been erected in the Octagon. The building is a neat little structure, made in the shape of an octagon, and was brought up bodily from Logan Park and placed into position yesterday. Please give . . . The Superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital (Dr Falconer) is making an appeal for blood for transfusion purposes. The list of voluntary donors, on which the Hospital has been working, is now exhausted, but there are still many patients requiring this treatment. It has been the custom for the relatives of patients to offer their blood, but there are those in the Hospital who have neither friends nor relatives to be called upon. It is for these unfortunate sufferers that this appeal is being made, and, as a healthy person can spare the blood for which many patients are in such need, it is hoped that all who are able will come forward and help their less fortunate brethren. . . . generously The head teacher of the Paparoa Native School, which is a gum-field school in the far north, informs us that owing to the slump in gum prices the children have not sufficient clothes to cover them this winter, and he would be very grateful to receive oddments of flannel and clothing of any description. Thanks a million The amount to credit of depositors in the Dunedin Savings Bank has now reached for the first time over £1,000,000. That fact was reported at the meeting of trustees this week. The exact total was shown as £1,007,468 5s 9d. — ODT, 23.5.1925 Compiled by Peter Dowden
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Construction workers get on-site health care
Hundreds of workers constructing the new Dunedin Hospital outpatients building are receiving on-site health support, including stop-smoking services. Overseeing and providing pastoral care for the more than 240 workers at the site, many from outside Dunedin and some from overseas, is Workforce Central Dunedin operations manager Raymond Clark. "We are a government-funded jobs and skills hub, and our main role is to support the 40-plus contractors on the site with their workforce needs," Mr Clark said. "Part of that is to help ensure the workers, many of whom are not registered with GP practices here, have their basic health needs met." The organisation has contracted independent Dunedin registered nurse Judy Currie to visit the site for four hours each week to provide a range of primary health care services and wellbeing advice. These have included blood pressure checks, flu and Covid vaccinations, prostate screening, advice on health food, and this month, stopping-smoking advice. "On site, Judy is a vital part of our pastoral care of the workers and to provide those important health services," Mr Clark said. "She has been coming regularly since last October, and the workers have gotten to know her, so are more comfortable asking her for advice." This month, a representative of the Southern Stop Smoking Service had spent time on-site, providing information and connecting with those who were interested in stopping smoking. "They are continuing to work with those people, as they continue on their stop-smoking journey." Mr Clark said the health programme on-site was working very well, and the workers were grateful for it. "The men have shown great appreciation that they have access to someone like Judy, who can provide them with that heath support and advice." Smokefree May Whānau across Aotearoa are being encouraged to begin their smoke-free journey this month, as part of the "That's Us" campaign, led by Hāpai te Hauora. The campaign encourages whānau to give up smoking with the support of their local Stop Smoking Service. Hāpai te Hauora National Tobacco Control manager Jasmine Graham said the support of trained "smokefree" practitioners was a critical success factor in quitting. "It's so important that whānau know these services are available to them in their communities. "It takes an average of seven attempts to quit smoking. Our message is simply, even if you've tried before, give it another go," she said. Smoking-related illnesses remain the leading cause of preventable death in Aotearoa. For information and support, visit or email admin@
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
First signs of life at Dunedin hospital site
By Matthew Littlewood of Representatives from potential contracting firms visited the Dunedin hospital in-patient site. Photo: ODT / Gerard O'Brien Is this the first sign of life from the previously abandoned new Dunedin hospital project's inpatient building? Representatives from potential contracting firms, including Naylor Love, Breen Construction, Ceres and Leighs Construction, were spotted on the site on Tuesday. Tender documents obtained by the Otago Daily Times said it was part of a debrief for the firms, as tenders for the substructure works on the inpatient building were expected to be issued in late June. Work on the actual substructure is expected to begin in mid-September. Former head of the emergency department Dr John Chambers said while it might look like something was happening, it would be months before anything substantial occurred. "It will take some time analysing all the prospective tender applicants ... but at the same time, the ministry will have to have their say. So the whole thing seems very bureaucratic. "It's hellishly slow." In January, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced the government would build the new Dunedin hospital at the former Cadbury's site for $1.88 billion. It came after several months of deliberating over whether it would build a scaled-back version or retrofit the existing Dunedin Hospital. Recently, the ODT reported the number of ICU beds had been cut back from 30 to 20 upon opening, while the number of mental health for older people beds had been cut back from 24 to eight upon opening. Dr Chambers said so much was still unknown. "I can clearly understand the frustration of your readers. "They start to believe that it's never going to happen. I guess it's the early stages of the planning process. So we must be talking weeks to months." When the ODT asked about the nature of the meeting at the site, a Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora spokesperson said: "As with any build, site visits have and will continue to occur". This story was first published by the Otago Daily Times.
NZ Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
David Seymour proposes abolishing some portfolios and cutting minister numbers
Seymour described portfolio creation without a designated department as an 'easy political gesture'. 'The cynics among us would say it's symbolism. Governments want to show they care about an issue, so they create a portfolio to match. 'Portfolios shouldn't be handed out like participation trophies. There's no benefit to having ministers juggling three or four unrelated jobs and doing none of them well. 'With such a large executive, co-ordinating work programmes and communicating between ministers inside and outside Cabinet is difficult and, as a result, Governments run the risk of drifting.' The South Island portfolio was created by Luxon and given to new MP James Meager earlier this year at a time when the Government was being criticised for its decisions concerning Dunedin Hospital. Speaking to the Herald, Seymour said he hadn't raised his views with Luxon directly and didn't believe his proposal would be seen as criticism of his coalition partners. 'I hope that my partners, like me, respect that Act's a party of ideas, and MMP enables parties to both maintain their identity and work together to support a government. 'There [are] people that could take quite a, I guess, combative approach to new ideas … we recognise this doesn't threaten the current [arrangement] but we also respect that everyone's allowed to float their own views of the world.' Seymour said his comments didn't reflect any upcoming changes in the Budget, set to be revealed on May 22. In the current Government, National ministers Chris Bishop and Judith Collins held the most portfolios, with seven each. Seymour holds one primary portfolio as Regulation Minister but has four associate roles, in finance, education, health and justice. Central to his concern was the number of ministers holding partial authority over one department. He cited the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and claimed its officials reported to up to 19 different ministers. 'When you have 19 ministers responsible for one department, the department itself becomes the most powerful player in the room. 'Bureaucrats face ministers with competing priorities, unclear mandates, and often little subject-matter expertise.' Within his proposal was the claim that the Government's 40-odd departments could be trimmed back to about 30. He would not detail which ones he would cut. 'I know that, if I start talking about specific ministries, people will start talking about the examples and the politics of who survives and who is cancelled and so on. 'Let me just say that I've been through the current list and I believe we could easily get to 30 departments.' The Ministry for Regulation was created by this Government, inspired by an Act Party policy. Seymour defended its establishment, claiming a department focused on assessing regulation was a core function of government. Despite his claim that the changes would make the Cabinet more 'manageable, focused and accountable', he maintained the current Cabinet had been effective in progressing policy. 'On the things that the three parties campaigned on, we can say we've been successful, but I don't think anyone would deny that a smaller group with fewer lines of accountability would be faster and more efficient.' Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald's Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
