Kia Ora,
Well, 2023 has certainly not started off as many would have hoped. Our hearts and thoughts go out to all of you, your whānau and your friends who may have been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. We are still experiencing ongoing weather issues which are having a huge impact on our community.
If you are feeling anxious, stressed, or concerned for your mental health because you have been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, please reach out to your doctor, healthcare provider or support person.
There are several good and free telehealth services available:
Healthline - 0800 611 116
Mental Health and wellbeing support – call or txt 1737 anytime.
There’s also some great advice on managing stress in an emergency here, https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/emergency-management/managing-stress-emergency
EIT Clinic: Unfortunately our EIT clinic is currently closed due to flooding until further notice.
Cyclone Recovery
There are several key messages from Te Whatu Ora when cleaning up from Cyclone
Gabrielle:
Preventing Illness after a flood:
Flood water can contain bugs, toxins and sewerage, all of these can make you sick, causing an upset tummy, diarrhoea and vomiting. Tummy bugs (gastro) are
unpleasant to deal with, most people can treat their symptoms at home.
The best thing you can do to prevent you or your whanau
getting gastro is:
Do not play or swim in flood water.
Keep up your personal hygiene – wash and dry your hands
thoroughly.
Stay hydrated if you do have symptoms of gastro.
Wear gloves, masks and protective clothing when cleaning up your whare.
Do not eat food that has been contaminated by flood water.
Even sealed containers touched by flood water may still have small holes in them.
Do not eat food from your garden if water flooded your garden.
Leptospirosis:
Leptospirosis is a disease that is easy to catch from an infected animal. If you’re dealing with livestock, please cover cuts and scratches, wear gloves and gumboots and always wash your hands thoroughly. Symptoms can include headache, fever, muscle pains, tiredness, red eyes, tummy pains and nausea.
Patient Satisfaction Survey Results
As you may know we recently ran a Patient Satisfaction Survey. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete this. We are currently working on ways we can implement new processes to improve our patient experience.
Based on the results, the areas of focus we have identified are:
Patient Information: In our waiting rooms we will be putting up more patient information resources, please help yourself to these.
Health TV: Over the next few weeks and months we will be installing TV's installed in our waiting rooms at each site, which will have health related education programmes
Patient Feedback Stations: At reception you will find some patient feedback forms and a box to confidentially provide on going feedback to us. There is also now an easy way of providing electronic feedback to us via our website https://www.thedoctorsnapier.com/
Waiting Room Chairs: We have placed an order to get some more chairs for our waiting room, in particular some higher chairs with arms to provide support to those with hip & leg troubles.
WHATS COMING NEXT MONTH?
Smear Clinic Updates
Staff & Personnel Updates
Long Term Condition Clinic Updates
Manage My Health Updates