Saturday, 23 March 2019 - Update from Christchurch Hospital

MEDIA UPDATE
Please attribute to David Meates, Chief Executive, Canterbury District Health Board

25 of the 48 people originally hospitalised after the mosque attacks on Friday, 15 March remain in Christchurch Hospital. Four are in critical condition in intensive care. Those injured in the attacks are our priority for specialist care, which for some includes follow-up surgery. The patients discharged will still require care and support in the community and Canterbury DHB has a number of wraparound services for patients who have recently left hospital.

A 4-year-old girl is in a critical condition in Starship Hospital in Auckland. Her father remains in a stable condition nearby in Auckland City Hospital.

Christchurch Hospital continues to be very busy, especially our Emergency Department which is always much busier at weekends. So that we can provide the best possible care for the acutely unwell patients, please phone your general practice team first if you need medical assistance – unless it’s an emergency. Call your usual GP team number day and night, and after hours a nurse will advise what to do and where to go if it’s urgent and you need to be seen right away.

Traumatic events are never easy, and it is important that we all take a moment to check-in with ourselves and our mental wellbeing. It's also a great idea to make a special effort to connect with friends and loved ones during these tough times.

One good place to get up to date information is HealthInfo. HealthInfo is a health information website for the general public, with information and advice specific to Canterbury, written by local doctors, practice nurses, hospital clinicians and other healthcare professionals. The website has a mix of health information, including factsheets on different topics and descriptions of local health services and supports. It also has links to recommended websites for further reading and research. The HealthInfo information relating to the terror attack is being updated regularly and includes a broad range of information including income support.

Another useful website is Victim Support Coping after the Christchurch mosques terrorist attacks

Additional Information:
Anyone who needs additional support can call or text 1737 to speak with a trained counsellor. This service is free of charge and is available day and night. People can also visit the All right? website which is constantly being updated with best practice wellbeing advice.
There are also resources available online:
• Ministry of Health resource – Coping after a traumatic event
• Mental Health Education and Resource Centre ¬ – Helping children cope

If you want to talk to a trained counsellor, you can phone or text 1737 to be put through to a counsellor any time of the day or night. This is a free service for everyone.

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