West Coast DHB general surgeon Terry Mixter, had an eventful flight to the USA recently. During the flight a young girl became quite ill and began to have difficulty breathing. With the assistance of an A&E nurse from Dunedin, who was also on the flight, they managed to administer some drugs which temporarily allowed the young girl to breathe.
Mr Mixter then got the flight diverted to Rarotonga to enable the young girl to receive ongoing medical attention. The flight then carried on to Los Angeles without further interruption.
Air New Zealand expressed their appreciation for Terry's prompt assistance which helped prevent much more serious consequences for the young passenger.
For more information please contact
Bryan Jamieson
Community Liaison Officer
West Coast DHB
PO Box 387
Greymouth 7840
Phone (DDI): (03) 769-7665
Mobile: 027 245-9595
Email: