Changing times are a happening – and how quickly they have spun. However, despite the strange and surreal times Covid-19 continues to March upon us, this April is also a time of support, celebration and recognition of those on our medical frontline.

WHO – World Health Organisation – celebrated its annual day of commemoration on the 7th. This 2020, a special ‘shout out’ to nurses and midwives around the globe was touted. These medical workers make up more than two-thirds of our health workforce in the Western Pacific Region, and their expertise is welcomed across wards. Here in New Zealand our frontline staff include 58,206 nurses and just over 3000 midwives, and our health system is ranked in the world’s top 20. Why? New Zealand was one of the first countries to establish a universal, tax-funded national health service, which includes unique features unto its own, this includes our ACC scheme and pharmaceutical management agency – which both ensure we get access to treatment and best value for money medicines.

And as many of us express gratitude in living Down Under – particularly during times such as Covid – we too, here in New Zealand, aren’t exempt from making waves on the global medical stage. We may be a small country, but we certainly punch above our weight in terms of innovation and expertise, here’s why . . .

3D Colour Medical Scanner – Kiwi father-son scientist team, Phil and Anthony Butler, from the Universities of Canterbury and Otago, invented the MARS Spectral X-ray scanner in 2018. The specialist x-ray spectral information measures the different components of body parts such as fat, water, calcium, and disease markers, as opposed to traditional black-and-white x-rays which only allow measurement of the density and shape of an object.

Plastic Surgery – That’s right New Zealand doctor Sir Harold standardised rhinoplasty and facial reconstructive techniques for WW1 soldiers suffering from facial wounds – mostly resulting from gunshots – establishing the discipline we refer to as ‘plastic surgery’.

Respiratory Humidifier – Our very own Fisher and Paykel healthcare forever changed the medical world in 1971 with the development of a world-first respiratory humidification for patients in critical care.

Robotic Exoskeleton – REX – Developed by REX Bionics, it’s a world-first created here in New Zealand! This hands-free robotic device serves disability patients, aiding them to move and walk minus pain and discomfort.

We are a nation of doers, go getters and pioneers – medical fields and beyond – when faced with adversity, we stand proudly Kiwi.

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