Alistair Humphrey
Covid-19: Safety fears as supplement sales soar amid outbreak
Sales of natural health supplements are rising in the time of Covid-19.
Natural does not mean safe, and some products can have adverse effects ranging from rashes and stomach upset to anaphylaxis and… Audio
Medical Association concerned about staffing, ICU capacity in Canterbury
Health professionals remain concerned about the sector's capacity to deal with the growing Delta outbreak.
Two cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Christchurch.
Māni Dunlop speaks to the chair… Audio
Extra flu jabs not nearly enough for Canterbury
Extra stocks of this year's flu vaccine are now available but doctors in Canterbury – where flu is biting hard – say it's a drop in the bucket and they really need more.
RNZ's Health Correspondent… Audio
Canterbury health officer urges research on nitrates in water
Canterbury's medical officer of health is calling for research into whether the region's drinking water increases the risk of bowel cancer.
A Danish study has suggested a connection between even very… Audio
Unsafe nitrate levels in Canterbury water - Forest & Bird
Forest and Bird says polluting nitrates are on the increase in Canterbury's drinking water and the risk maps the regional council relies on are out of date.
Using the council's own data, the… Audio
Scientists need more funding to better understand groundwater
Forty percent of New Zealanders rely on groundwater for their drinking supply, but scientists say they need more funding if they're to properly understand the crucial resource. They want groundwater… Audio
Canterbury irrigation scheme faces no penalties
A large North Canterbury irrigation scheme is being allowed to exceed recommended levels of nitrate in the water - potentially for years. Forest and Bird says there should penalties for the pollution… Audio
Chief Coroner issues hot weather warning after woman dies
A woman with multiple sclerosis died from hyperthermia on Wednesday when temperatures reached 32 degrees in Christchurch, and even hotter, up to 37 degrees, in the North Canterbury town of Waiau. Audio
Asbestos removal to cost $285,000
The Christchurch City Council has to remove a new path behind homes in Waimairi Beach because the soil used is contaminated with asbestos. It's removal is expected to cost $285,000. Audio
Christchurch advised to chlorinate water to avoid contamination
The city of Christchurch is likely to have chlorinated water within two months because some of the city's groundwater wells could be vulnerable to contamination. Canterbury Medical Officer of Health… Audio
Christchurch water chlorination 'ambulance at bottom of cliff'
A leading freshwater ecologist is criticising planned chlorination of Christchurch's water supply as a last resort, or ambulance-at-the-bottom-of-a-cliff approach. The city council is being forced to… Audio
Canterbury parents warned over dirty tap water
A top health official is warning of risk to newborn babies from increasing agricultural contamination of Canterbury's groundwater which has already claimed at least one life.
Data from the regional… Audio
North Cantabrians angry at water chlorination plan
A North Canterbury councillor says the district's water is going to be chlorinated, not because of safety concerns, but because the council is worried about its liability. Audio
What the Government's new freshwater standards mean
How do people make sense of the Government's new freshwater standards and how will the public know where and when it is safe to swim? The Government has released new standards aiming to make… Audio
Concern for the health of Chch residents as smoke covers city
Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey says the smoke will mainly just be an irritant, but if the it gets very dense or you have an underlying illness you should seek help. Audio
Kaikoura needs clean hands, and boiled water for a while yet
Canterbury's medical officer Dr Alistair Humphrey says keeping Kaikoura's trapped residents free from gastro bugs is the top priority. He says boiling and bleaching water is essential. Audio
Court rules no booze for end of supermarket aisles
Two Christchurch supermarkets have been stopped from displaying wine or beer at the end of their aisles, losing the latest round of a legal battle that at first they'd won. Audio
Report into asbestos exposure during Canterbury Rebuild
A report commissioned by the Ministry of Health has found Canterbury residents are unlikely to suffer any health risks from asbestos exposure during the canterbury earthquake repairs. The Report is a… Audio
Canterbury's medical officer of health - asbestos report
Listening to that was Canterbury District Health Board's medical officer of health, Doctor Alistair Humphrey. Audio
Contaminated fresh vegetables linked to rare stomach bug
Contaminated fresh vegetables have been linked to a rare stomach bug that has struck down more than 100 people. Audio