North Canterbury News: May 12, 2022
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Nurse caught in Covid nightmare<br />
By ADAM BURNS<br />
The Ministry of Health believes it is not to<br />
blame for processing delays involving a<br />
Rangiora ICUnurse,who was stooddown<br />
for severalweeks unpaid after catching<br />
Covid19.<br />
CarlosMolina was leftinadesperate<br />
situation as he waitedeight weeks, with no<br />
income, for amedicalexemptiontobe<br />
authorised by the Ministry.<br />
The ICU nurseatChristchurch Hospital<br />
caughtCovid19 in earlyMarch, on the eve<br />
of the mandatory cutoff datefor receiving<br />
abooster.<br />
Just as he was set to returntowork, he<br />
was told he was being stooddown until an<br />
exemption had beenfinalised.<br />
Those who have been infected are<br />
unabletoreceiveavaccine for three<br />
monthsafter catching the virus.<br />
Under the Covid19 Public Health<br />
Response Order 2021,practicing nurses<br />
must be fully vaccinated, including<br />
receiving aboosterwithin 6monthsof<br />
havinghad their second jab.<br />
Despite being informedthe process<br />
would take aboutfivetosix working days,<br />
Mr Molina only returned to work last<br />
week.<br />
‘‘There was no meansofgetting<br />
feedback on your case, because yourfile<br />
doesn’t haveanumber.’’<br />
‘‘Every week Iwas being toldIwas<br />
missing somethingonthe application...it<br />
was very inefficient.’’<br />
In the interim, he was forced to dipinto<br />
savings which had beenset aside for a<br />
familytrip to visit his elderly mother in El<br />
Salvador.<br />
The situation also took atoll on his<br />
mentalhealth.<br />
‘‘I had alot of stressand sleepless<br />
nights,’’ he says.<br />
‘‘It was hard having to tell the mother of<br />
my kidsthat Icouldn’t have them this<br />
week because Ihad no moneytofeed<br />
Paper work delays ... Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey and ICU nurse Carlos Molina study<br />
paper work on aCovid19 snarl up Carlos found himself in.<br />
PHOTO: ADAM BURNS<br />
them.’’<br />
As he continued to wait, he received<br />
support through Work and Income<br />
(WINZ).<br />
AMinistry spokesperson saysitdid not<br />
receiveamedical exemption application<br />
for Mr Molina until April 6.<br />
The exemption was granted on April 20.<br />
‘‘There was adelaybecausethe doctor<br />
hadn’t sighted the positive test result and<br />
the applicant needs to verify apositive<br />
result before granting atemporary<br />
medical exemption application.’’<br />
The Ministry says thereare two options<br />
for obtaining athree month medical<br />
exemption, comprising of an individual<br />
application via their medical or nurse<br />
practitioner, or verified throughtheir<br />
employer as agroup application.<br />
‘‘DHBs continuetoencourage all staff<br />
eligible for abooster to receive their<br />
vaccinationand are makingitaseasy as<br />
possiblefor them to do so.<br />
The Ministry would not confirmhow<br />
many ICU nurses had been stood down<br />
awaiting amedical exemption.<br />
‘‘It’s importantthat medicalexemptions<br />
are made as easy as possible to get if<br />
health professionals have had Covid19.’’<br />
WaimakaririMPMatt Doocey described<br />
the situation as ‘‘appalling’’and called for<br />
the Ministry to take someaccountability.<br />
‘‘In the middleofapandemic, wherewe<br />
desperately needtohang on to our<br />
specialist health professionals,Iwas<br />
appalled thiswas allowedtohappen.<br />
‘‘We all knowthe pressures on peopleat<br />
the moment. To not be able to provide for<br />
yourself and your familyishugely<br />
concerning.’’<br />
NEWS<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>May</strong> <strong>12</strong>, <strong>2022</strong><br />
15<br />
History of<br />
local women<br />
By ROBYN BRISTOW<br />
Asmallgroupofenthusiasts are<br />
keeping thehistoryofwomen in<br />
the HawardenWaikari district<br />
alive.<br />
Acommittee from the Waipara<br />
county Historical Societyis<br />
working on asequeltoits popular<br />
book ‘‘Our Apron Strings’, written<br />
by Doc Sidey, which recalledthe<br />
livesof170 women in the<br />
HawardenWaikari district who<br />
had been bornupto1920.<br />
The publication sold extremely<br />
well and afterfour reprints,740<br />
copies weresold.<br />
The committeeisnow<br />
researching and preparing to<br />
coverthe next 20 years ladies<br />
born from1920 up to 1940 and<br />
hopesDoc Sidey will onceagain<br />
writeit.<br />
Committeemember Geraldine<br />
Hassall saysatthis pointithas<br />
more than 140 namestoconsider<br />
for the proposedpublication.<br />
But it is stillseeking names.<br />
Aquestionnaire has been<br />
prepared seeking detailed family<br />
information,dates and place of<br />
birth, tales and lifeshapingevents<br />
of women whom peoplemay like to<br />
see featured in the book.<br />
Geraldinesays the committee<br />
will canvas all theinformation<br />
receivedbeforedecidingwho is<br />
included.<br />
Questionnaireshave to be<br />
returned by August1.More<br />
informationcan be obtainedfrom<br />
JanetJensenbyphoning03314<br />
9588 or 0273 350 111.<br />
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