NZ - Christchurch, Flu Centres Open in Rolleston and Rangiora - volunteers welcome

[Sally Furniss]

New Flu Centres Open in Rolleston and Rangiora
Monday, 20 July 2009, 4:33 pm
Press Release: Canterbury District Health Board


DATE: 20.7.09

SUBJECT: New Flu Centres Open in Rolleston and Rangiora

An increase in the number of out-of-town flu patients at the Christchurch Central Flu Centre has led to the opening today of two more centres in Rolleston and Rangiora.

Dr Phil Schroeder, Head of the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group says, “We have been keeping an eye on demographics and noting where people calling our 0800 flu line live. We’ve noticed that increasing numbers of people visiting the central city flu centre are coming in from Selwyn and Waimakariri. It therefore makes sense to open local centres

Both the Rolleston and Rangiora Centres will be lead by local GPs and Practice Nurses and will open at 1pm today.

“It’s really important that people who are concerned about their flu symptoms still ring 0800 37 30 37. That is the only way they will be given an appointment at their local centre. It would also be helpful when people phone that they clearly identify where they live so that they can be directed to the appropriate Centre,” Dr Schroeder said.

In both cases doctors from the primary care sector will help to staff the centres and opening hours will be limited.

The Rolleston Centre will be co-ordinated by Tasha Lane. “It’s a bonus that we can offer our local Selwyn community somewhere close by for help with the flu. Not only are we saving them the trip into Christchurch but we are also supporting our local medical facilities by diverting people with flu symptoms away from non-flu patients.

Our Centre will operate from 1pm-5pm Monday to Friday as required and we will take it a day at a time,” Tasha said.

The Rangiora Centre will be run by Caroline Forbes. “It’s timely that we open the Rangiora Flu Centre now. We’ve got an enthusiastic team of doctors, nurses and receptionists and we are ready to go,” Caroline said. The Rangiora Centre will operate Monday to Friday from 1pm – 4.30pm.

Volunteers, particularly Registered Nurses and medical students would be welcomed at both Centres. Volunteers can register on www.fluinfo.org.nz.

Today, there were 68 people with flu-like symptoms in Canterbury hospitals, 17 of whom had confirmed Influenza A (H1N1). Two of the confirmed H1N1 cases were in Christchurch Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

A total of 176 people attended Christchurch’s Flu Centre over the weekend.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0907/S00096.htm

 

[kiwibird]

Re: NZ - Christchurch, Flu Centres Open in Rolleston and Rangiora - volunteers welcome

Flu centres open in Canterbury
By MIKE HOULAHAN - The Press
Last updated 05:00 21/07/2009


Health officials have opened flu centres in Rangiora and Rolleston as swine flu spreads in Canterbury.

The head of the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group, Dr Phil Schroeder, said the centres had been opened because of an increase in the number of out-of-town flu patients heading to Christchurch for treatment.

"We have been keeping an eye on demographics and noting where people calling our 0800 flu line are from," he said.

"We've noticed that increasing numbers of people visiting the central city flu centre are coming in from Selwyn and Waimakariri.

"It therefore makes sense to open local centres."

The Rolleston centre will be open from Monday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm, and the Rangiora centre will operate on weekdays from 1pm to 4.30pm.

Schroeder said people with flu symptoms should ring the information line 0800373037 for advice before visiting a flu centre.

"That is the only way they will be given an appointment at their local centre," he said.

"It would also be helpful when people phone that they clearly identify where they live so that they can be directed to the appropriate centre."

There were 68 people with flu-like symptoms in Canterbury hospitals yesterday, including 17 confirmed with swine flu. Two of those patients were in Christchurch Hospital's intensive care unit.

Nationally, 2368 cases of swine flu have been confirmed. The deaths of 10 New Zealanders have been linked to the disease.

Swine flu and a measles outbreak did not drastically cut the ranks of Canterbury school pupils at the start of the new term yesterday.

Principals said absentee rates were close to normal. For some schools, that represented a vast improvement, having had as many as a third of their pupils off sick at the end of last term.

"We're hale and hearty in North Canterbury today," Rangiora School principal Peggy Burrows said.

"But we did drop from 86 per cent attendance down to 65 per cent at the end of term.

"While I don't quite know the statistics, it's certainly higher than 65 per cent today."

Four staff had suffered from swine flu during the school holidays, but all were well again, Burrows said.

Ashburton Intermediate School principal Gavin Cooper said the school had yet to be hit by swine flu.

"There's been nothing yet, but I am expecting it later this term," he said.

Christchurch Boys' High School pupils account for about a third of Christchurch's confirmed measles cases.

The school has also suffered badly from swine flu.

Its deputy principal, Paul McWilliam, said he was relieved yesterday to find that absentee rates were about normal for this time of year.

Fifty-two measles cases have been confirmed or suspected in Christchurch since last month, including pupils at seven high schools, two intermediates, four primary schools and six early-childhood centres.
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Nationally, there have been 90 notified measles cases this year, more than seven times higher than the total number of cases for all of last year.

The Ministry of Health's chief adviser for population health, Dr Greg Simmons, urged parents to vaccinate their children against the highly infectious disease.

"It's estimated that up to 13 people could become infected from coming into contact with just one person with this disease," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2611328/Flu-centres-open-in-Canterbury

 

[kiwibird]

Re: NZ - Christchurch, Flu Centres Open in Rolleston and Rangiora - volunteers welcome

Swine flu update 24.7.09
Friday, 24 July 2009, 3:23 pm
Press Release: Canterbury District Health Board

Swine flu update 24.7.09

Canterbury’s seven rural Flu Centres are being “well attended” by people with influenza, says Head of the Canterbury Primary Care Pandemic Group Dr Phil Schroeder.

Dr Schroeder said, like those attending Christchurch’s St Asaph St Flu Centre, most people visiting the rural centres were generally experiencing more severe flu symptoms.

Children under four years old are the most prevalent age group visiting the Flu Centres, with the average age of all patients being around 15 years old.

Since they opened on Monday, the Rolleston and Rangiora Flu Centres have seen a steady stream of patients. The Rolleston Flu Centre has been seeing 11-12 patients each day while the Rangiora Flu Centre saw 34 patients on Monday and has seen 15-20 patients every day since. Both centres are open from 1-5pm each day.

In Ashburton, about 10-20 patients have been visiting the Flu Centre each day, with a total of nine attendances yesterday. The other smaller Flu Centres at Waikari, Akaroa, Kaikoura and Methven are typically seeing about three to four patients each day. All these Flu Centres opened last month.

As expected, opening the Rolleston and Rangiora Flu Centres has had an impact on the number of attendances at the Christchurch Flu Centre, which had a total of 81 attendances yesterday.

He said medical staff in the rural areas had done a “sterling job” in setting up the Flu Centres, often with limited resources. “They are all champions…what they have all achieved in such a short time is just phenomenal.”

Dr Schroeder said that although attendances had dropped at most of the Flu Centres in the past week due to school holidays, staff were cautiously waiting to see what impact children returning to school this week would have on the number of flu patients.

He said most people were continuing to heed advice that they were able to manage at home with plenty of rest and fluids and by taking paracetamol for fever or headaches.

People who are worried about their flu symptoms, are pregnant or have underlying health conditions, such as asthma, should call the Canterbury Flu Line on 0800 37 30 37 for advice. An appointment will be made with a Flu Centre if necessary.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0907/S00118.htm