Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care.
“It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal and can be a start on the path to diabetic foot and limb amputations,” says Dr Reti.
“We know there is currently pressure to find trained podiatrists, particularly in rural and provincial areas, and training new podiatrists takes time.
“This can result in significant waits for often basic care, which diabetes specialists have advised is something that can have the greatest impact for diabetes management.
“Footcare assistants will help ease that pressure. Those who qualify for the new credentials in 2025 won’t be sole charge – they will work in collaboration with a podiatrist to provide examinations, basic foot and nail care and hygiene, freeing up the specialists to take on more complex care.
“This is an innovative new solution to expand the health workforce and reduce barriers to quality care for people with diabetes.”
The new micro-credential has been developed jointly by the Podiatry Board, Workforce Development Council and NZQA. It involves 250 hours of training, with 50 per cent completed online and the remaining hours in clinical settings.
“Footcare assistants will first be piloted in South Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau – regions where we know there is a high incidence of diabetes and difficulties accessing appropriate care,” Dr Reti says.
“Following those pilots, the micro-credential will be made available across the sector.
“I applaud the collaboration which has made this new qualification possible.”
Police are pleased that there have been far fewer road deaths for the 2024/2025 holiday period compared to last year.
The holiday period road toll provisionally stands at 13, which is just over half of last year’s total of 22.
Director Road Policing Superintendent Steve Greally says while it’s fantastic to have seen this number drop, any death on the roads is still one too many.
“That’s still 13 families who have had their lives irrevocably changed at what should be a happy and festive time of year, and our hearts go out to them.
“It’s important that we collectively keep doing everything we can to prevent lives being lost on our roads.”
Police will continue to be out in force across the country this summer, conducting road policing operations and patrols to target unsafe driver behaviour.
“Our officers are doing everything they can out on the roads working to reduce the number of serious crashes.
“But we need drivers to be doing their bit too.
“Please – make sure everyone in your vehicle is safely buckled up, drive at a safe speed for the conditions under the speed limit, put your cellphone away, and ensure you’re driving free of fatigue, alcohol, and drugs.”
One person has died following a single vehicle crash on Ihumatao Road, Māngere yesterday 2 January.
Emergency services responded at around 5.36pm, but the driver and sole occupant was found deceased.
The Serious Crash Investigations Unit has conducted a scene examination and is appealing for witnesses to the crash.
If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250102/7039.
Police continue to encourage drivers to take extra care on the roads, watch your speed levels, take breaks if travelling long distances, and remove any chance of distraction by not using your mobile phone.
ROSTOCK / GRÜNHEIDE – Newsaktuell – 2 January 2025 – Rescue for jobs at Rostock-based IMG Ingenieurtechnik und Maschinenbau GmbH (IMG). Zachert Ingenieurtechnik und Maschinenbau GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zachert Private Equity GmbH (ZPE), will take over the long-established mechanical engineering company when the contracts are signed on 31 December 2024. The takeover secures the Rostock site and over 75 per cent of jobs. The signing is still subject to the approval of the creditors’ committee in January. All parties involved have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Rescue for jobs at Rostock-based IMG Ingenieurtechnik und Maschinenbau GmbH (IMG). Zachert Ingenieurtechnik und Maschinenbau GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zachert Private Equity GmbH (ZPE), will take over the long-established mechanical engineering company when the contracts are signed on 31 December 2024. The takeover secures the Rostock site and over 75 per cent of jobs.
Securing jobs – preserving the future
The Rostock-based mechanical engineering company is a global supplier of complex systems and production lines for the shipbuilding and offshore industries. The company filed for insolvency at the end of October 2024. The contract signed at the turn of the year means that IMG can restart in 2025. Investor Olaf Zachert and the ZPE team specialise in the restructuring and further development of medium-sized companies. “Our aim is to preserve IMG’s tradition and expertise. It is important to us to preserve the jobs and the plant at this location as far as possible. Our priority now is the further expansion and reorganisation of production. We will work closely with the management, the works council and the workforce to achieve this,” says Olaf Zachert, founder and Managing Director of Zachert Private Equity
The negotiations were conducted by IMG’s insolvency administrator Ulrich Rosenkranz from the law firm BRRS Hamburg and the commercial law firm Seitz on behalf of the purchaser. Once the contract has been signed, Mr Rosenkranz will handle the existing orders, while the team led by investor Olaf Zachert will reorganise the company and secure the majority of jobs. The basis for this will be the acquisition concept of Zachert Private Equity. “We will work with and for the majority of employees and trainees to find a quick and promising solution. IMG’s long-standing and potential customers will continue to be supplied in the usual quality and we look forward to working with them,” says Olaf Zachert.
IMG Rostock remains
ZPE has already demonstrated its expertise in mechanical engineering with the takeover of the former Bühler AG plant in Döbeln (Saxony) in May 2024. The company now operates under the name Döbelner Anlagen- und Maschinenbau GmbH (DAMB). “We were able to secure all jobs here and have gained a lot of experience in mechanical and plant engineering. We now need to organise the targeted further development and strategic partnerships between the two plants at the respective locations,” explains investor Olaf Zachert. The expertise of the two production facilities will be pooled in future, the product portfolio expanded and further developed for promising markets. Sophisticated systems and production lines from Rostock will continue to be produced for IMG customers in the future.
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http://datas.weichertmehner.com/IMG.zip
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Photo credits: IMG/ZPE
Possibility for interviews
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We are available for interviews on site
Discussion partner: Olaf Zachert, Investor Zachert Private Equity GmbH (ZPE),
