A veteran medical professional has revealed how concerned he is with the state of New Zealand’s health system.
Artists impression of the Cambridge Health Hub which now has Sir Tristram Boulevard and Tavistock Place.
Luk Chin an 81-year old anaesthetist and pain specialist now working in private practice was giving an update on his Health Hub project to Cambridge Chamber of Commerce members at a Business After Five event last week.
Groundworks has begun on the hub in Victoria Road with building expected to start early next year.
But Chin, who was born in Dunedin and moved to Waikato Hospital as a house surgeon in 1966, said he was “extremely worried” about New Zealand’s health service.
He pinpointed the introduction in the 1970s of intensive care units in New Zealand for the start of the problems which saw an increase in the complexity of operations and procedures.
“That resulted in increased costs, increased staffing and increased facilities and that adds to an enormous cost to healthcare services and all around the world have not kept up with that and that’s why we’re in the financial crisis now.
“We’ve had underfunded and under-resourced health services for so long.”
Luk Chin
Chin worked at Waikato Hospital for more than 40 years – becoming a leading intensivist and pain specialist – and while there helped develop the Anglesea Clinic in Hamilton.
“I don’t think there is any country in the world (that) can ever provide sufficient funds to be able to get everybody the perfect service.”
Eighty cents of every dollar spent on health is spent on people over 60, he said.
“So, they are the high users. And of course we’re getting old, we’re ageing now, we’re living longer and so our requirements are going to be going up, up and up all the time.”
Chin said the country with the best health service in the world was Norway. “Even they do have some minor problems but not the way we have it.”
Recent research into gene modification – which enables medical professionals to remove defective genes in the human DNA – was the next big thing, he said.
An artist’s impression showing the revised Health Hub hospital with Victoria Road in the background.
“These so-called inherited disorders can actually be eliminated from the human race.”
Five years ago, Chin said he saw an opportunity in Cambridge when a parcel of land in Victoria Road became available.
The Anglesea complex had already expanded across the road in Hamilton and Chin could see an opportunity for a similar development in Cambridge to meet demand.
Wanting to get the land as quick as he could, he tapped his old mate Sir Patrick Hogan on the shoulder.
“I said to him ‘let’s do something for Cambridge.’ And he agreed to purchase the land and that’s where we are today.”
Hogan died last year but before then Justine had formed a company with Chin to own and develop the land. Waipā District Council has approved a 7300 square metre complex.
In the original plans there was to be a GP practice but that had fallen through, said Chin.
“I assure you it will go ahead but in a different format.
“We’re going ahead with but with mainly a hospital component with public imaging – scanning and the rest of it.”
Chin said he had recently been approached by Bay of Plenty health officials to establish facilities in Tauranga.
“That is in the early stages. We’ve just acquired the land for that.”
Chin breeds, owns and trains several trotters at his 1000m track in Bruntwood Road, Tamahere. In a training career stretching back to 1980, he has trained 190 winners, with total stake earnings of $2.151 million. He has driven 152 winners with earnings of $1.683 million.
His last win was on Tuesday when he guided three-year-old Chesinov to its maiden victory in race one at Cambridge Raceway.
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Cambridge Health Hub
