Tribute has been paid to the resilience of the Canterbury health system 1000 days on since the first quake shook the region.
David Meates, chief executive of the Canterbury District Health Board paid credit to everyone working in the Canterbury health system since the first 7.1 quake hit the region on September 4 2010.
“Together, we have responded to the challenges and created a better health system by designing services that deliver the right care in the right place at the right time by the right person.
“It’s incredible at how responsive those working in the health system have been, even when many would have felt that their own lives have been turned on their heads.”
Some ‘1000 days and counting’ statistics for Canterbury health system:
- Employed more than 500 new graduate nurses.
- Earthquake repairs continue on 12,000 out of 14,000 rooms damaged across CDHB facilities
- Government approved the $600 million plus redevelopment of Christchurch and Burwood Hospitals
- Built an $8.5 million new Outpatients facility in 141 days
- Have carried out $40 million of urgent earthquake repairs across all sites
- Over 13,000 children received B4 School Checks
- Nearly 240,000 attendances at Christchurch ED
- Over 50,000 elective surgeries delivered to Cantabrians (including over 2,500 hip or knee replacements and 4,000 cataract operations)
- Around 2 million outpatient attendances
- Over 8,000 older people (aged over 65) receiving aged residential care
- Over 35,000 people accessed mental health services (either in the community or in hospital)
