15 Feb 2023, 22:49

4pm Wednesday 15 February 2023

Health information and updates following the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle

 Hawke’s Bay has been significantly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and a national state of emergency has been declared

Following flooding, power outages and travel impacts as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the following services are cancelled for Thursday 16 and Friday 17 February:

• Elective surgeries
• Endoscopy services
• Outpatient appointments in Napier, Hastings, Wairoa and Central Hawke’s Bay.

Affected patients are being contacted and offered a telehealth appointment if appropriate or rebooked as soon as possible.

Three acute theatres are operating at Hawke’s Bay Hospital in Hastings. Any emergency caesarean sections or urgent cancer procedures will take place in these. Urgent Radiology procedures are continuing at Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

Te Whatu Ora acknowledges whānau will be concerned about the whereabouts of loved ones who may have been impacted by flooding, but asks people do not come into the Hawke’s Bay Emergency Department unless seeking urgent medical care.

If you are going to run out of medication in the next two days, pharmacies can dispense a small emergency supply without a prescription. If possible, this should be from your normal pharmacy. Please don’t go to the Emergency Department for your medication.

Urgent clinics open

City Medical at Napier Health Centre is open (24-hours)

Urgent care clinic at Hastings Health Centre (until 7pm tonight)

General practices open

Power outages have caused communication barriers, but below are the general practices we’ve been able to reach and confirm are open. (Note: some general practices are operating in constrained environments, and are offering variable hours and services.)

Napier:

• Maraenui Medical Centre (10-12pm)
• Taradale Medical Centre (9am-midday)
• Greendale Medical Centre
• Carlyle Medical Centre (limited hours)

Hastings:

• Medical and Injury in Hastings is also open
• The Doctors Hastings
• Totara Hastings
• Totara Flaxmere
• The Doctors Gascoigne
• Hauora Heretaunga

Rural:

• Tukituki Medical Centre
• The Doctors Waipawa

Patients who need further care will be transferred to Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

Pharmacies that are open

Most pharmacies in Hastings are open including:

• Hastings Health Centre pharmacy
• Unichem Russell Street Pharmacy at The Doctors Hastings
• Bay Plaza Pharmacy Hastings
• Gilmours Havelock North Pharmacy in Havelock North
• Flaxmere Pharmacy
• Denton’s Pharmacy in Havelock North
• Taiwhenau Pharmacy within Hauora Heretaunga
• Care Pharmacy at Totara Health
• Countdown Pharmacy open
• Whittakers Havelock North
• Parkvale Pharmacy
• Life Pharmacy Hastings
• Unichem Stortford Lodge

Pharmacies in Napier open include:

• Napier Health Centre pharmacy
• Unichem on Munroe Street at The Doctors Napier
• Greenmeadows Pharmacy at The Doctors Greenmeadows
• Glenn’s Pharmacy

In Central Hawke’s Bay:

• Unichem Waipukurau
• Waipawa Pharmacy.

Dental pain clinic open in Hastings for 0 to 8-year-olds

If you have a child in pain, please contact the Hastings Central Dental Clinic which is providing a relief of pain clinic between 8am-4.30pm. Please call 06 873 4860.

This information will be updated again at 9am on Thursday 16 February 2023.

Public health and hygiene

Here are some printable factsheets with public health advice on: 

• Cleaning up after a flood
• Looking after your health after an extreme weather event.

Drinking water

• The quality of water supplied may be compromised during a flood. If a 'boil water' notice is issued by your water supplier, then water needs to boiled or at least 1 minute before drinking, brushing your teeth and washing fruit and vegetables.
• To find out if there is a boil water notice issued on your supply the first place to check is the council’s website. Most councils also have social media, and some have opt-in text services to share water notices. If you’re still unsure, give your local council a call.
• If you have no power, use another heat source such as a BBQ to bring the water to a rolling boil for one minute. (Note: keep the BBQ outside at all times. Do not bring it inside the house or garage because charcoal or gas BBQs produce large amounts of carbon monoxide which can be fatal).
• If you cannot boil your drinking water, then add purifying tablets or plain, unscented household bleach. Add half a teaspoon of bleach per 10 litres of water, mix and leave for at least 30 minutes or follow instructions on purifying tablets. Store treated water in a covered container.
• If you have concerns about the safety of your water supply, please visit the following web pages:

-Taumata Arowai emergency advice

-Manatū Hauora/Ministry of Health | floods and health

Protecting your health after a flood

• Flood water can contain lots of nasty bugs that could make you and your family sick.
• People should keep away from flood waters and from playing or swimming in the puddles, which may have been contaminated by sewage, farm run-off or other hazardous material.
• If you have contact with flood water, flooded property or items contaminated with flood water you should wash your hands thoroughly.
• People should not swim in rivers, streams and beaches for 2-3 days after the heavy rain as they will have high or very high risk of contamination during this time. This is because heavy rain flushes contaminants from urban and rural land into water ways.
• One of the main risks from flood water is gastroenteritis. Most people who develop gastroenteritis can manage their symptoms at home but it can be more serious for the very young, very old or those with underlying medical conditions. If you feel unwell after coming into contact with floodwater call your doctor or call Healthline for free on 0800 611 116.
• Before you start the clean-up process, read this guide on how to clean up, drain and dry out your house safely after flood damage.

Disposing of sewage

If your septic tank is out of action or your local authority has advised to cease/minimise use of your toilet, use a chemical or portable toilet if you have one or make a temporary toilet.

An information sheet with advice on how to make a temporary toilet is available on

Covid-19

If you have COVID-19 you must self-isolate for 7 days. It is recommended household members of people with COVID-19 test daily for five days, starting from when the case in their household tests positive. If your local Civil Defence authority tells you to evacuate because of an emergency, follow the evacuation advice. Your immediate safety overrides COVID-19 isolation requirements.

If you can, and it is safe to do so, maintain physical distance from others. Make sure you include face masks and hand sanitiser in your grab bag and if you go to a Civil Defence Centre (CDC), wear a mask and let the CDC staff know on your arrival that you have COVID-19.

Hand washing and food safety

1. Always wash your hands with any soap and water after handling articles contaminated with flood water and after cleaning up from the flood.
2. This is extremely important to help prevent the spread of disease. Flood water is potentially contaminated with faecal matter from animals and sewage and can contain lots of nasty bugs that could make you and your family sick.
3. Managing hygiene around food preparation and cooking requires more thought than normal during a flood event. Remember to:

• Always wash and dry your hands before preparing food. If water is in short supply, keep some in a bowl with disinfectant.
• Ensure all utensils are clean before use.
• Cook food thoroughly.

4. Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water, including fruit and vegetables from your garden.
5. To avoid getting sick from food during emergencies:
6. Get rid of all foods needing refrigeration when they have been unrefrigerated for more than two hours.
7. If the power has been off to the freezer for more than two days, get rid of all thawed food.
8. Extensive advice on how to salvage food items is available on the Ministry of Health website and the Ministry of Primary Industries website.

Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group

For help with urgent accommodation and welfare needs, and urgent flooding issues (building and infrastructure) contact welfare@hbemergency.govt.nz or visit your local civil defence centre.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels was delivered to about 200 people in Hastings today. Plans are in place to restore this service to Napier this afternoon. If you need support, please ring the Civil Defence Emergency Management.

Staffing

• Staff who are based in Napier and have the availability to assist at Napier Health Centre are asked to phone the Roster Office via the call centre, or present to Napier Health Centre to be added to a roster.
• Napier-based pharmacists are also asked to report to Napier Health Centre if they can assist.
• Hawke’s Bay Hospital is mindful of the difficulties some staff face getting to work and is proactively developing rosters for the next 72 hours. Hastings-based nurses can either ring the Roster Office via the call centre, present to the hospital Operations Centre or email response@hbdhb.govt.nz to express their availability.
• Staff in Central Hawke’s Bay are asked to present to Central Hawke’s Bay Medical Centre to assist if possible.

Plans are being put in place to ensure accommodation and food will be provided, close to the hospital, for staff who are unable to return home safely.

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For more information contact:

Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay Media Team

Mobile: 027-599-9507