The President of the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists says ongoing assistance to Pacific doctors needs to get more stable.
Dr Ted Hughes, who has worked in the Pacific and led medical aid missions, says a lot of the work he has been involved in is emergency care, but countries like Rarotonga have hugely benefited from anaesthesia machines donated by Auckland hospitals.
Ahead of the Pacific Super Meeting later this week, which is the first ever joint conference of Pacific anaesthetists, Dr Hughes says hardworking Pacific doctors will benefit from meeting with their regional colleagues.
He says one way to provide pain relief was to use cylinders of nitrous oxide and manufacture entonox on the island.
"Much more cheaply than it could have been obtained from New Zealand in order to give pain relief to women in labour which hadn't ocurred before so we've done quite a few things by a number 8 fence wire mentality. But I think to improve things further some donations to the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists would be good."
Dr Ted Hughes.
