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Flu response cost nears $1m
By KIM THOMAS - The Press
Last updated 05:00 26/06/2009
Canterbury's swine flu bill is approaching $1 million.
Canterbury District Health Board chief executive David Meates said the cost of dealing with the swine flu pandemic would be about $900,000 by the end of this month.
The board would absorb this cost but would talk with the Ministry of Health on whether it would foot some of the bill.
The board is set to post a minimum $13m deficit this financial year, making some service cuts likely.
Meates said swine flu costs included posting medical staff at Christchurch International Airport, setting up flu centres and an 0800 information line, paying staff to work extended hours and buying masks and alcohol lotion. Being prepared for a pandemic had not yet led to cancellation of elective services in Canterbury, he said, but postponing surgery was possible as swine flu numbers increased.
Ministry of Health chief finance adviser Mike McCarthy said the ministry had yet to collate swine flu costs.
Much of the cost was the responsibility of public health units and district health boards.
There was no specific budget for the pandemic, and for many of the people involved, especially the public health units, the response was part of their core function, he said.
It was impossible for the ministry to separate swine flu costs from health boards' normal operating budgets, McCarthy said.
Dr Phil Schroeder, who leads the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group, said there were about 110 confirmed cases of swine flu in Canterbury and one each in Nelson-Marlborough and the West Coast.
Doctors were swabbing selected patients now rather than everybody suspected of having swine flu, he said.
For every confirmed case there were likely to be 20 to 30 unconfirmed cases, he said. This would mean that up to 3000 Cantabrians had the virus.
Eight people were in Christchurch Hospital's general wards with swine flu yesterday. One child with the virus was in a paediatrics ward.
TAMIFLU FOR MUMS TO BE
Pregnant women will get free Tamiflu if they become sick with swine flu, as research suggests they have a higher risk of being hospitalised by the virus.
Ministry of Health director of public health Dr Mark Jacobs said pregnant women were at greater risk of serious illness if they contracted swine flu.
Any pregnant woman who thought she had the virus should ring her doctor urgently, he said.
Tamiflu would be available to her, but she would have to decide whether she wanted to take it in consultation with her doctor, he said.
No extensive studies on how safe it was for expectant mothers to take Tamiflu have been done.
However, it was generally felt to be fine for those in mid to late pregnancy, he said.
A woman with swine flu who gave birth at Christchurch Hospital in the past fortnight was kept under observation.
Jacobs said information about pregnancy and swine flu would be updated today.
Expectant mothers' added risk highlighted the need for them to be extra vigilant about washing their hands and avoiding people with flu symptoms, he said
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2537195/Flu-response-cost-nears-1m
By KIM THOMAS - The Press
Last updated 05:00 26/06/2009
Canterbury's swine flu bill is approaching $1 million.
Canterbury District Health Board chief executive David Meates said the cost of dealing with the swine flu pandemic would be about $900,000 by the end of this month.
The board would absorb this cost but would talk with the Ministry of Health on whether it would foot some of the bill.
The board is set to post a minimum $13m deficit this financial year, making some service cuts likely.
Meates said swine flu costs included posting medical staff at Christchurch International Airport, setting up flu centres and an 0800 information line, paying staff to work extended hours and buying masks and alcohol lotion. Being prepared for a pandemic had not yet led to cancellation of elective services in Canterbury, he said, but postponing surgery was possible as swine flu numbers increased.
Ministry of Health chief finance adviser Mike McCarthy said the ministry had yet to collate swine flu costs.
Much of the cost was the responsibility of public health units and district health boards.
There was no specific budget for the pandemic, and for many of the people involved, especially the public health units, the response was part of their core function, he said.
It was impossible for the ministry to separate swine flu costs from health boards' normal operating budgets, McCarthy said.
Dr Phil Schroeder, who leads the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group, said there were about 110 confirmed cases of swine flu in Canterbury and one each in Nelson-Marlborough and the West Coast.
Doctors were swabbing selected patients now rather than everybody suspected of having swine flu, he said.
For every confirmed case there were likely to be 20 to 30 unconfirmed cases, he said. This would mean that up to 3000 Cantabrians had the virus.
Eight people were in Christchurch Hospital's general wards with swine flu yesterday. One child with the virus was in a paediatrics ward.
TAMIFLU FOR MUMS TO BE
Pregnant women will get free Tamiflu if they become sick with swine flu, as research suggests they have a higher risk of being hospitalised by the virus.
Ministry of Health director of public health Dr Mark Jacobs said pregnant women were at greater risk of serious illness if they contracted swine flu.
Any pregnant woman who thought she had the virus should ring her doctor urgently, he said.
Tamiflu would be available to her, but she would have to decide whether she wanted to take it in consultation with her doctor, he said.
No extensive studies on how safe it was for expectant mothers to take Tamiflu have been done.
However, it was generally felt to be fine for those in mid to late pregnancy, he said.
A woman with swine flu who gave birth at Christchurch Hospital in the past fortnight was kept under observation.
Jacobs said information about pregnancy and swine flu would be updated today.
Expectant mothers' added risk highlighted the need for them to be extra vigilant about washing their hands and avoiding people with flu symptoms, he said
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2537195/Flu-response-cost-nears-1m