Source: Radio New Zealand
By Anya Feilding
A surgical robot in action. Palmerston North Hospital Foundation / supplied
Palmerston North Hospital is a step closer to welcoming a new surgical team member – a robot.
A fundraiser for a surgical robot has received a $500,000 private donation this week.
The Palmerston North Hospital Foundation has been fundraising for one at its regional hospital since February. Spokesperson Shivarn Stewart said the aim was to raise $2.5 million by the end of the year.
“And given that we’ve already raised more than half-a-million in under a month, we absolutely know that goal is possible.”
An anonymous donor gave $500,000 this week, but the local community has also raised over $30,000.
The fundraiser has been shared through the local Manawatū Chamber of Commerce.
A local grower, Gaye Fell, planted an acre of sunflower and worked with Mitre 10 Mega to raise nearly $9000.
Shivarn explained the robot would have a massive impact on surgical and cancer care for the more than half-a-million people Palmerston North Regional Hospital served around the central North Island.
Operated by surgeons through controllers, robotic arms and 3D scanners allow for greater precision – especially in areas such as the throat or pelvis, where traditional surgery was difficult and often damaging.
This precision had ripple effects, leading to reduced risks from infection, complications and surgeon fatigue, and speeding up patient recovery.
“One of the best descriptions is instead of using BBQ tongs, it’s like using tweezers,” Shivarn said, comparing the advent of surgical robots to the development of keyhole surgeries.
“Surgical robots are really becoming the benchmark for talented surgeons. Within Palmerston North Regional Hospital, there’s already some staff that are fully trained in this.”
Robotic surgery was best suited to cancer surgeries, such as removing tissues or tumours. John Chaplin used surgical robots exactly for this purpose at his private practice.
“In the surgery that I do, which is surgery to the base of tongue or tonsil for cancer, it offers the same sort of advantages in that you’ve got a very close-up view of the tumor. You are able to get clear margins on the cancer.
“You’re able to get really good access and a view of the base of the tongue, which is often a really hard area to view directly because it’s at an angle you have to almost be upside down to look at it. Previously, people have had to have their jaw split open and tracheostomy tube and major surgery and reconstruction to have these tumors treated.”
Matthew Clark, a general surgeon and member of the governing council of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, had conflicting feelings.
“Look, I think it’s both great and sad. It’s great that they’re doing it. I think getting more robots into the public health system is very much a good thing.
“It’s sad that we need to resort to fundraising for public healthcare for some of these initiatives that are absolutely the right thing to do for New Zealand society.”
There is currently a single surgical robot in the public healthcare system nationwide, at the Southern Cross North Harbour Hospital in Auckland.
He said robotics might not be cost-effective in every healthcare scenario, but he hoped New Zealand could adopt robotics as other nations had, such as the US, UK and Australia, while also learning from their teething problems.
He said not only was this technology needed, but it could also help with brain drain.
“If New Zealand doesn’t keep up with some of these things, then some of our youngest, best and brightest will inevitably be kept overseas once they learn these techniques.”
Dr Alberto Ramirez. Palmerston North Hospital Foundation / supplied
Health New Zealand spokesperson and clinical director of surgical services for MidCentral Alberto Ramirez agreed with this.
“It is difficult to have an edge for those to look at us as a preferred place to come and work. Therefore, recruitment is very difficult – and retention, too.”
He said fundraising was a good option to get the equipment.
“Although robotic surgery has proven enormous benefits worldwide and is becoming the gold standard for many surgeries around the world, the investment in robotic systems involves an enormous amount of money.
“Each of these systems costs around $3 million – plus everything that goes around it.
“Some hospitals will need more than one because obviously they will have many teams and one will not be enough to go around.
“So, you can imagine if you multiply that by the number of hospitals around New Zealand, it’s very, very difficult to justify… such a large purchase.”
To donate or learn more about the project, you can visit [www.pnhospitalfoundation.co.nz www.pnhospitalfoundation.co.nz].
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
