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Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to Editor: health, voting, 1080
Today's letters to the editor include a plea to save the Roxburgh Medical Centre, debate around changes to voting, and 1080 in New Zealand. I read with major concern this week that the viability of the Roxburgh Medical Centre is at risk. The report stated that "a significant proportion of the Teviot Valley's rural health funding will be withdrawn from January 2026." How on earth did this happen? I worked as the nurse manager and Prime nurse at the medical centre for many years and know how busy it can be, how vital it is to provide the care needed for the valley. This practice is a one and a-half doctor practice. It serves a wide variety of people, from elderly to young families, orchardists, farmers etc. Don't let anyone tell you "but you can travel to Alexandra for your care." This is totally impractical for a lot of folks, especially the elderly. The practice area goes from Raes Junction to Shingle Creek, including outlying farms. Roxburgh locals, you cannot allow this to happen. You must stand up for what this district deserves. If you lose services you will never get them back. Marg Eckhoff Alexandra It's so right Pete Hodgson has said it well in his letter (31.7.25): the disenfranchised should be heard with their votes. That some do not vote is entirely predictable, despite David Seymour's "drop kick" comments. He is not struggling from day to day to survive in the present climate. His world is "sorted" and there is a totalitarian theme in there somewhere. Likewise our prime minister says he is going to "smash" the gangs. This is Trumpian speech and he really has no idea about managing a group of people who have an immutable sense of belonging and supporting each other. His words show his false sense of status to the detriment of many. The changing of the writing on passports is a similar, dare I say it "racist," move couched in ambiguity and evasion. Aotearoa-New Zealand means a lot more than New Zealand-Aotearoa. The entry of te reo into our vocabulary is to be celebrated as it is establishing our identity as many of us want it to be. Peter Strang Dunedin It's nonsense According to Pete Hodgson's thinking, the electoral changes are voter suppression. Or maybe he is just worried that those affected would most likely vote for the opposition parties but are not capable of enrolling in time. To say it is voter suppression is nonsense. These people have a choice (apart from a few who will have to wait until the next election) to enrol or not. This change is no worse than the election bribe that Labour introduced in 2018 in an attempt to get students on side, and their desire to lower the voting age to allow children to vote. David Tordoff Dunedin What goes around April 1633: Pope Urban VIII bans scientist Galileo Galilei's book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems on the grounds that it argues that the Earth revolves around the sun. The Pope and the Church hope that this scientific truth will just go away. It doesn't, but it takes 359 years for the Church to acknowledge it was wrong. July 2025: President Trump revokes the scientific declaration on the dangers of greenhouse gases, undermining the United States' work to control emissions. He and his supporters hope that the scientific truth of climate change will go away. Unfortunately, it won't, and unless we do something now there will be no-one around in 359 years' time to point this out. John Drummond Dunedin Shaking one's head at volume of false rhetoric Concerning Tony Vink's remarks (28.7.25) re Israel and its supposed non aggression. I was wondering what planet Mr Vink is from? The sheer volume of the false rhetoric is hard to believe in this day and age. To think there are still people in the world who think like this is beyond my comprehension. Is it any wonder the world is in the mess we are now. Y Palmer West Harbour On the other hand The upshot of Mr Peters' statement, and that of the other foreign ministers, is that it reinforces Hamas' belief that it is winning the war: this is because international opinion is with them, and that they are being recognised (but not for the terrorists they are). The above action by Mr Peters et al, has led to Hamas winding back the latest attempt at ceasefire talks, and Hamas increasing its demands to the point where it was obvious that any agreement was, and is impossible. Israel is being forced to negotiate with Hamas, rather than just deal with them. Hamas has taken this as them being legitimised as a representative of Gaza rather than the cancer that they are. Kevin Rogers Andersons Bay Hunters and all of us should be worried re 1080 After reading the ODT article (26.7.25) "Concern 1080 will lower deer numbers" hunters — indeed the public — should be concerned as the first part of the planned eradication of predators on 6000ha of Stewart Island was only a trial. Two drops of pre-feed to get animals used to feeding on baits were to be followed up by two drops of toxic bait, the first which has been carried out the second yet to come. The use of deer repellent is no guarantee. For that matter where is the guarantee that deer repellent, if it works, was actually used? Besides, how effective is deer repellent? Deaths of white-tail deer after the trial run raise that question. The poison is not authorised to be used on deer, yet in 1980-81 a formal study on the impact of 1080 on white-tail deer occurred on Stewart Island where a gel formulation containing 1080 poison was applied to broadleaf leaves for the control of white-tail deer, the end results being "this method was found to be very efficient at substantially reducing deer numbers". Although 1080 is not used to target deer, DOC seem more than happy: it does reduce deer numbers dramatically. Besides 1080 is an indiscriminate poison which also kills deer, birds and insects, i.e. any creature which ingests it. In addition a 1080 killed creature's body remains toxic and lethal to anything that scavenges it. A lot could be learned from the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation's trapping programme to protect blue duck in Fiordland. In some areas this has increased numbers considerably without using poisons. I think the estimated cost of $90 million to poison Stewart Island predators would go a long way to control them. Use of trapping and other ground control methods without poisoning non-target species is far more preferable. Extermination is impossible and I say "control", as making Stewart Island, along with mainland New Zealand, predator-free is impossible. Lewis Hore Oamaru
Otago Daily Times
29-07-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Funding error threatens viability of health centre
The Roxburgh Medical Centre is facing another crisis with revelations funding has been paid to the practice in error for nearly 10 years. Alexandra-based HealthCentral, which owns the Roxburgh Medical Centre, said in a statement yesterday afternoon the viability of the Roxburgh practice was at risk due to WellSouth PHO withdrawing $130,000 — or 85% — of the practice's rural funding allocation. WellSouth chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said they had been mistakenly paying more than $130,000 a year in rural funding to the medical centre since 2015. WellSouth chief financial officer Mistelle Jack said a review of the Roxburgh rural contract found the "historic arrangement" should no longer have been in place. The decrease in funding was a 54% decrease on the previous year, Ms Jack said. Funds removed from Roxburgh were returned to the pool for all rural practices. Rural funding models were outdated and Mr Swanson-Dobbs had been part of government negotiations to increase patient subsidies to general practices, she said. HealthCentral general manger Jenaya Smith said they were blindsided by the announcement and had no prior indication any of the funding was temporary or at risk. "It was not itemised in our contracts, remittances, or any communications." The funding cut was initially scheduled to take effect this month. Temporary support secured by WellSouth from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora had deferred the impact until January but HealthCentral warned the delay offered only limited relief. "This unexpected funding withdrawal once again places the long-term viability of the practice at risk. Sudden changes in funding allocation or eligibility criteria by WellSouth creates instability for providers. Primary care practices rely on consistent, sustainable funding to operate, plan ahead and recruit." HealthCentral bought the Roxburgh practice in December 2022 and the Roxburgh Medical Trust retained ownership of the building. The trust had battled to attract and retain doctors at the practice for several years before HealthCentral stepped in. Ms Smith said the previous owners of the Roxburgh practice did not recall any part of the rural funding being temporary. While HealthCentral bought the Roxburgh practice to ensure the continuity of local health services, it might have negotiated different terms or adjusted the level of services it committed to delivering if it had been aware the funding was temporary, she said. The fee structure was under review at the moment and there was a risk of Roxburgh facing increases to cover the funding shortfall. "We remain hopeful that the PHO will reconsider its decision or work towards a more sustainable, long-term solution so any fee increases can be minimal." In contrast to Roxburgh, HealthCentral's Alexandra practice — which operates seven days a week, providing after-hours and public holiday care for the wider region — received no increase in rural funding for 2025-26 and that was no longer sustainable, Ms Smith said. "With no increase in funding, we cannot be expected to absorb the rising cost of staffing weekends and holidays." Central Otago district councillor for the Teviot Valley ward Sally Feinerman said she was deeply concerned about the threat to the viability of the community's only primary healthcare provider. "The potential consequences — reduced services, increased patient fees or even closure — are simply not acceptable." Mrs Feinerman said she stood with HealthCentral in calling for an urgent review of the rural funding model. "Let's be clear: rural health is not a luxury — it is a necessity."
