Cyclone Gabrielle support
Cyclone Gabrielle has caused extensive damage to the North Island. We’re thinking of our members, many who continue to work, while also looking after their families, and practices who continue to offer healthcare to their communities during these challenging times.
Help for members
Members across the motu have reached out to offer help and support to other members in areas affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Offers of help have so far included housing and GP support for members who need a break so they can be with their whānau.
We’ve compiled a short list of useful resources below:
- College member wellbeing: as part of your membership, you get access to member wellbeing resources such as EAP and counselling.
- Civil Defence NZ website: for the latest information
- MetService website: for the weather forecasts
- Stuff.co.nz live noticeboard: post your offer of help or find some help (this is for the general public and not member specific)
Help for practices
Advice from Te Whatu Ora
- Services should prepare accordingly and ensure business continuity plans are in place.
- If your practice is experiencing issues that impact on ability to operate (power, communications, access, damage, supplies) please escalate via your existing PHO pathways for local support and escalation.
- Your PHO may also have additional local information and support.
Advice from IMAC
- Cold chain checking: With power cuts across the North and central parts of Aotearoa due to Cyclone Gabrielle, if you are ok, just check your temperature monitoring equipment is set up correctly and that dataloggers and/or central monitoring equipment are recording correctly.
- If the power does go off: please ensure that your fridge door remains closed, unless you are moving vaccines to a provider with power (vaccines should only be moved if it can be done within the cold chain and it is safe to do so).
- Once power is restored: datalogger/central monitoring data should be checked and you should contact your immunisation/cold chain coordinator to discuss any cold chain temperature breaches before any vaccines are used.
View the IMAC cold chain resources.