Dunedin to have new cardiac unit

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33037, 3 October 1972, Page 1

Dunedin to have new cardiac unit

The Government has authorised the Otago Hospital Board to establish the country’s third cardiac surgery unit forthwith, the Minister of Health (Mr Adams-Schneider) announced yesterday afternoon, according to a Press Association message from Wellington.

“No development will take place at Christchurch for two years after the Otago unit commences,” the Minister said in a statement.

“Formal proposals can then be made by the North Canterbury Hospital Board, if it wishes to, and the situation evaluated in the light of the need to have an adequate case load for each unit.”

The Minister said that the Government's decision to plan for two cardiac units in the South Island was based on recent overseas developments in coronary artery sur-

gery. The Government’s decision not to allow development at Christchurch for at least two years was because of the need to establish an adequate case load for each of these

units, Mr Adams-Schneider said. The chairman of the Otago board, Mr J. D. Brown, described the announcement as “grand news.” He said in an interview that the Otago Medical School had been given its merited and rightful recognition. The board would proceed “forthwith” and he hoped the unit could be working within six to nine months. The chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Dr L. C. L. Averill) left yesterday afternoon’s meeting with the Minister without talking to reporters. “Decision expected In Christchurch last evening Dr Averill said that the North Canterbury Hospital

Board was quite satisfied with the situation. All along the Minister htd stated that the Cabinet had considered Dunedin should have the third cardiac sui gery unit. In fact, this sort of decision was only to be expected. At its last meeting the North Cante-bury board agreed that if the Government requested, it would agree to hold up for two years its plans for a unit in Christchurch, but at the same time reserved the right to press its claim for an earlier date should the situation warrant it, said Dr Averill. He said that the board would not be willing to agree to a delay of more than two yeais. Dr D. R. Hay, of the cardio-

logy department at Princess Margaret Hospital expressed disappointment at the Minster’s statement. “As I understand it we will have no cardiac surgery in this city for a long time and it appears that patients will continue tv have to move about the country for su-gery.” Dr Hay said it looked as if Christchurch would have to wait a long time for a cardiac surgery, unit and because of this he was concerned that it might have an adverse influence on staffing within the general field of cardiology and this was of particular consequence to the clinical school here. He also wondered whether the terms outlined by the Minister would be acceptable to Mr P. J. Molloy, who had been offered the chair in ca»diac surgery at Dunedin, an I who had earlier said he would accept providing there was no other unit in the South Island.

“However, I feel one must not obstruct the efforts of Dunedin to move forward. Our two cities will have to work together in many fields of medicine and particular’y with regard to the clinica’ schools.” Right of choice There was, he said, . the question of whether all South Island cases would have to go to Dunedin or not in future. “Until now it has been understood that we in Christchurch have the right to refer our patients to the centre of our choice. I hope this is retained.

“I realise that it may happen that Green Lane Hospital might one day be no longer able to cope with our cases but we would be very concerned if there was any rigid direction that all cardiac cases must go to a particular centre,” he said. Dr Hay said that today cardiac surgery was in a state of uncertainty because of developments in surgery for coronary, diseases. No-one was completely certain of where this field of surgery would end.

“It could well be that if these newer operations stand the test of time there will be a flood of surgery necessary for cardiac patients. Therefore, there could be a need for a fourth cardiac surgery unit at a relatively early stage,” he said.