- Dunedin Public Hospital
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Dunedin Hospital Southern District Health Board 
Dunedin Hospital from Signal Hill Geography Location Dunedin, New Zealand, Otago, New Zealand Coordinates 45°52′10″S 170°30′31″E / 45.8694°S 170.5086°ECoordinates: 45°52′10″S 170°30′31″E / 45.8694°S 170.5086°E Organisation Care system Publicly funded Hospital type Teaching, Tertiary Referral Affiliated university University of Otago Services Emergency department Yes Helipad ICAO: NZDH Beds 388 History Founded 1851 Links Website http://www.otagodhb.govt.nz/ Lists Hospitals in New Zealand Dunedin Hospital is the main public hospital in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is the largest hospital south of Christchurch and serves as the major hospital for the Otago and Southland regions (with a potential catchment radius of roughly 300 kilometres, and a population of around 300,000). Patients are transferred or sent to this tertiary level care hospital from smaller secondary care hospitals across Otago and Southland (such as Clyde, Queenstown, Oamaru, Gore and Invercargill)
The hospital is operated by the Southern District Health Board (an entity formed by the amalgamation of the Otago District Health Board and Southland District Health Board.) It is located in the central business district of Dunedin close to Otago University, lying between Great King Street, Hanover Street, Cumberland Street and Frederick Street.
It is a 388 bed tertiary hospital and is affiliated with the University of Otago. There are approximately 200 specialist consultants. Total employees number about 3,100.
Contents
History
The original hospital was built at The Octagon in 1851, and moved to the site of the present hospital in 1865.[1]
The hospital uses coal-fired boilers to generate steam, for cooking and cleaning. These are currently managed by Meridian Energy with surplus steam sold to the University of Otago for heating.
In March 2007 two wards of the hospital were closed due to a suspected outbreak of norovirus, thought to have been brought in by a patient.[2] On 16 August 2008 the hospital was put in lockdown for one week due to a norovirus outbreak affecting 73 patients and nearly 100 staff, blocking most visitors for the duration, and postposting 2,300 procedures.[3][4][5]
Helipad
The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter taking off from the hospital helipad
The Ward Block building has a helipad on the roof of the northeast corner (ICAO: NZDH).[6] The building was designed with consideration for a helipad, after substantial fundraising one was built on the roof in circa 2000. The hospital helipad improves patient care, reducing the need for ambulance transfers between a remote helipad and the hospital. Due to CAA safety requirements, only "Performance Class One" (twin-engined) helicopters are allowed to land on the hospital.[6]
References
- ^ "Hospitals". 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/MedicalServices/Hospitals/en. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ "Bug closes two Dunedin hospital wards". New Zealand Herald. March 22, 2007. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=500846&objectid=10430298. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ McLean, Elspeth (16 August 2008). "Norovirus restricts access to hospital". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/18130/norovirus-restricts-access-hospital. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ "Hospital still in lockdown amid seven new cases". New Zealand Herald. August 17, 2008. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10527489. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ Schofield, Edith (22 August 2008). "Dunedin Hospital to lift lockdown". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/19034/dunedin-hospital-lift-lockdown. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ a b "Dunedin Hospital Heliport aerodrome chart". Civil Aviation Authority. http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZDH.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
External links
Categories:- Buildings and structures in Dunedin
- Teaching hospitals in New Zealand
- Hospitals established in 1851
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