Hon Tony Ryall
Minister of Health

25 February 2011

Health professionals volunteering to help in Christchurch are being encouraged to register through their District Health Board or through the National Health Co-ordination Centre (NHCC).

Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "The Ministry of Health is co-ordinating the volunteer responses with a national volunteers database.

“The database is helping the NHCC team to work through the logistical issues that are starting to arise around the number of volunteers in terms of medical specialities and available accommodation.

“We need to ensure that we get volunteers with the right skills to the areas where they are most needed. In order to achieve this, the NHCC team is placing a greater emphasis on co-ordination of this valuable resource.

Health workers wanting to volunteer are encouraged to do so through the below channels:

• Doctors and nurses who work in a New Zealand DHB can volunteer through their DHB’s, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

• Practising Health professionals who are not able to volunteer through a DHB are able to contact the Ministry of Health, National Health Emergency Plan at nhep@moh.govt.nz It is important to include “volunteer offer’ in the subject-line. Information should also include a detailed description of their role and qualifications.

“The Ministry has developed the database so that when Canterbury District Health Board signal their needs to the NHCC, those needs can be met quickly."

ENDS

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