Teen dies from flu complications
Shayne Iti said his 15-year-old daughter Katie Margaret Iti died on Saturday in Hutt Hospital from complications of influenza B. He spoke to reporter Natalie Akoorie.
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RNZ News
10 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Auckland mental health facility Segar House to close
Auckland mental health facility Rauaroha Segar House is set to close. Photo: Google Maps Street View An Auckland mental health programme catering for people with long-standing or chronic problems will shut down. On Thursday afternoon, Health NZ told patients and staff of Rauaroha Segar House the service would close its doors. Operating from its central-city Khyber Pass Road base, Segar House is a publicly-funded, intensive programme that involves group therapy and is focused on allowing people to function in society. The service had an allocation of seven full-time equivalent staff members, although RNZ was told it had been operating below that, and 10 patients at any given time. Health NZ has been consulting on its proposal to shut Segar House since April and, in its change proposal, said not enough people were treated there and staff would be better deployed elsewhere. Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the union "strongly objects" to the closure. "Despite the critical life-saving work done at Segar House, Health New Zealand has today announced its decision to shut this unique, much-needed service," she said. "This is terrible news for staff, those who rely on the specialist support offered at Segar House, and their loved ones." The union called on Health NZ and the government to reverse the decision and instead "commit to properly funding Segar House". "The team working at Segar House are devastated. They know this decision will have tragic consequences," Fitzsimons said. She said people who used Segar House's services included those with horrific trauma and complex health histories. "They can only come to Segar House when they've already exhausted all other options - it's the last option for these mental health patients." The Public Service Association says it "strongly objects" to the closure. Photo: 123RF Labour spokeswoman for mental health Ingrid Leary also said news of the closure was devastating. "It's very specialised and there isn't actually an alternative. People should be able to get the care they need in the community, so what's going to happen to those people now?" She criticised the government for focusing on cuts, and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey for not showing leadership. Doocey has been contacted for comment. "It's painfully short-sighted as all communities need primary, secondary and tertiary levels of mental healthcare to some degree, and reopening facilities like this is much harder to do once they've been shut down - as the UK has discovered recently when trying to reverse similar decisions," Leary said. Staff and many patients have said no other programmes offered the same treatment. Staff proposed an alternative plan to keep Segar House open, and widen the criteria for those who could use the service, but this has not convinced Health NZ. Changes introduced six years ago meant only people who had failed in other settings were eligible, although the PSA said a recent trial with lower admission criteria was successful. Less than a week ago the PSA sent Health NZ a lawyer's letter asking officials to reopen consultation on the proposed closure. The PSA said it was still seeking legal advice about this. This came after Leary obtained correspondence that showed Segar House's lease was to expire last year, before a last-minute extension, and no discussion about alternative venues. Health NZ said lease arrangements had nothing to do with its closure plan. Leary said today she was disappointed consultation was not reopened. Health NZ has been contacted for comment. An online petition run by the PSA, calling for Segar House to remain, has more than 2600 signatures. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 17 July
Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, French Polynesia and American Sāmoa have also declared dengue outbreaks. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY A dengue fever outbreak in Samoa has claimed the life of a second child. The Sāmoa Observer reports Faith Melchior, 8, died in hospital on Monday night. She is the second child to die from dengue in Sāmoa this year - 12-year-old Misiafa Lene died in April. Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, French Polynesia and American Sāmoa have also declared outbreaks. Tuvalu and Nauru are on alert for the disease. A meeting of trade ministers from the Pacific Island Forum's African, Caribbean and Pacific States is underway in Suva. New Zealand's Nicola Grigg said it is a timely opportunity to discuss the importance of the rules-based trading system, with the World Trade Organisation at its core. She said the structure is vital for small Pacific island nations, including New Zealand. France is committing around US$20 to new undersea technology linking Vanuatu and New Caledonia, which will better prepare the Pacific for natural disasters. SMART will be the world's first Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications submarine cable. French Ambassador to Vanuatu Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer said the cable will be fitted with sensors to measure sea temperature and seismic activity. He said it will help monitor climate change and - crucially - provide early warnings for tsunamis. The Vanutu Daily Post reported that the cable is expected to be in operation sometime next year. It will link Port Vila with Lifou Island in New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands group, traversing the seismically active New Hebrides Trench. Vanuatu's Electoral Commission says the verification of ballot boxes for the recent Provincial and By-Elections should be completed later today. According to the Vanuatu Daily Post , once that is done, the Commission can officially announce final results. The election was held on 8 July and attracted good voter turnout. The Commission has thanked all who participated - describing the election process as smooth and peaceful. Political parties have already begun lobbying to form new provincial governments. Fiji's HIV prevention taskforce says the country's law enforcement is actively hindering public health efforts. The United Nations reports a massive surge in HIV cases last year - numbers are up 284 percent. Around half of all cases were caused by intravenous drug use. Taskforce chair Dr Jason Mitchell told Pasifika TV there is a concerning lack of cooperation between the health sector and police. Schools in the Northern Marianas are bracing for a possible fiscal cliff, according to the Board of Education. Governor Arnold Palacios is planning substantial cuts to the education budget allocation. The government is proposing a US$40 million dollar grant but the Public School System has requested just over 49 million dollars. Board of Education has testified that if the government's proposal is implemented they could be forced to declare a state of emergency in education.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Find out how seaweed could prevent global famine
A new study from the University of Canterbury has shown that seaweed could potentially avert a significant number of deaths from starvation in the future. Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor David Denkenberger explains how. Seaweed growing in long lines. Photo: University of Canterbury
