RWNZ chief executive to step down
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) chief executive Gabrielle O’Brien will step down at the end of June.
Rural health academics support calls from other rural leaders for more localised reporting of COVID-19 test results.
They believe this will help rural healthcare providers better care for their communities.
University of Otago Associate Dean Rural Garry Nixon and University of Waikato Professor of Population Health Ross Lawrenson are concerned the current system of reporting COVID-19 test results does not enable a clear picture for rural health providers.
They are advocating for a move to reporting cases by district council areas – as a minimum.
COVID-19 cases are currently being reported by District Health Board areas. Some DHBs, particularly those with significant rural populations cover large geographical areas.
Nixon, a rural hospital specialist at Dunstan Hospital in Clyde, explains that unless a cluster is reported, it is not possible to tell in what part of these large regions’ cases are concentrated.
“This means a rural hospital or service has no way of knowing how many patients in their area are likely to deteriorate and need further medical care in coming days,” he says.
“The pandemic demands a response at all levels, including by rural and remote communities and their services. Good data will support this response.”
Lawrenson, a public health physician and board member of the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network, says they would prefer that results were reported on a regional level within DHBs.
“Reporting data on COVID-19 cases for smaller regions will make it easier for communities to understand their risk and for rural health providers and other community services to plan their response to the pandemic.”
Some DHBs have started to report cases by district council area, a move the pair is in favour of.
Nixon says New Zealand lacks a recognised system for reporting rural health data – something both he and Professor Lawrenson have highlighted in research in recent years.
“The current pandemic highlights this deficiency in the national health intelligence system.”
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.