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Public hospitals serving people in Northern Wairarapa are handling more medical cases than they were in 2000.
Labour Government MP Georgina Beyer says figures released by Health Minister Pete Hodgson show the number of medical, surgical and elective procedures have increased significantly across the country over the past five years.
"A strong health system is crucial to Labour's commitment to lifting the quality of life for New Zealand families, and ensuring high quality public services. So we've invested heavily in health and we're definitely seeing the results here in Wairarapa," said Ms Beyer.
Comparing 2000 with 2005, the highlights for Northern Wairarapa from Mid-Central DHB's figures include:
- Medical discharges: up 59.5 percent from 7577 to 12,082
- Surgical discharges: a 10.1 percent increase in case-weighted* discharges from 9936 to 10,944; overall numbers are up as complexity of procedures increases
- Elective discharges: a 28.5 percent increase in case-weighted discharges, from 3678 to 4318. Hospitals are handling more procedures overall and more complex procedures as thousands of operations switch to outpatient care
Highlights for Wairarapa DHB include:
- Medical discharges: a 13.8 percent increase from 2518 to 2865
- Surgical discharges: a 21.2 percent increase in case-weighted surgical discharges from 2051 to 2485;
- Elective discharges: a 23.8 percent increase in case-weighted discharges, from 835 to 902
"Our hospital staff work under tremendous pressure, but they're still getting the job done, ensuring a better quality of life for local families. We should be proud that our local hospitals continue to perform strongly."
Ms Beyer said the Government had focused on preventing illness through primary health care, and over time this should see pressure come off public hospitals.
* Case-weighted surgical and elective discharge numbers reflect the complexity of procedures being performed in public hospitals. As simple procedures shift to outpatient services, hospitals are focusing on more complex procedures like hip and knee surgery
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