Kia ora folks.

“Hands around the Hospital” is just that – forming a human chain around the Hospital. We are doing this to show support for the Hospital workers, as well as deliver a message to the Government that our hospital needs more resources so we can get the treatment we need as a community.  I am aware of at least two services that have been paused, due to chronic understaffing.  Understaffing is happening in the following areas:  psychiatry, radiology, ENT, rheumatology, endoscopy, cardiology and oncology.

Please be assured no entranceway will be blocked and we will have marshals at each entranceway/road entrance to ensure this does not happen.  We have been working with the NZ Police, Māori wardens and Hospital management, so that everything goes as smoothly as it can.  People will be asked to go to either Ruahine, Featherston and Heretaunga Streets or Tremaine Ave and stand on the footpath, after assembling on the grassed area at Gate 8 (the corner of Ruahine Street and Tremaine Ave).  Given the limited parking spaces available, we are encouraging people to come early and ahead of time.  All told, we anticipate that the event will take no longer than two hours, so we should be all done and dusted by 3pm.