NZ targets 500 extra surgeries; Hutt Hospital to hit 25 sessions monthly

Keneperu acquired new equipment to end regional surgery delays.

New Zealand has expanded public hospital eye surgery services in the Hutt Valley and Porirua to increase treatment capacity for cataract and retinal conditions.

Hutt Hospital is now delivering 20 to 25 cataract surgery sessions per month whilst Kenepuru Hospital has expanded its vitreoretinal surgery service by installing a second set of specialised equipment.

This addition will enable two to three additional operating sessions per week.

Vitreoretinal surgery treats serious conditions such as retinal detachment and diabetes-related eye disease.

New Zealand Minister of Health Simeon Brown estimates the changes will allow 300 to 500 more patients each year to receive surgical treatment.

The additional capacity is intended to reduce waiting times and shift routine cataract cases away from larger regional hospitals, allowing them to focus on complex procedures, according to a press statement from the New Zealand government.