Source: Radio New Zealand
Matt Doocey says the changes will reduce travel time for patients. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Publicly-funded x-rays and ultrasounds are now offered in Wānaka, the government has announced.
The lack of local diagnostic testing was a key concern raised by residents at a Rural Health Roadshow last year.
The change was expected to lead to about 1400 x-rays and 1500 ultrasounds over the next 18 months.
Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey said people had made it clear that access to diagnostic tests was a major barrier to good healthcare.
“People living in Central Otago deserve timely, quality healthcare close to home. Changes like this reduce unnecessary travel and ensure patients can access reliable services in their own community,” he said.
Health Action Wānaka, which has been advocating for more equitable healthcare, described the change as an “amazing” step forward.
Chairperson Monique Mayze said people previously had to drive for at least an hour to Dunstan Hospital in Clyde if they did not want to pay.
“This has meant people obviously have to find childcare, take time off work, spend more money just getting somewhere to access something that should be free,” she said.
“We’ve been advocating for this change for some time, since we met the minister in July last year.”
She said the group would like to see CAT scans and MRI scans available in Wānaka too, rather than people having to travel to Dunedin.
The government has been working on ways to overhaul the area’s health services and address long-standing inequities.
In November, officials estimated that shifting appointments out of major hospitals and into communities could spare Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes residents as many as 40,000 road trips per year.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
