KEY POINTS:
The Waikato medical team who performed a rare operation on conjoined twins, and the project to cut hospital waiting times in Canterbury, are in the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA).
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) paediatric surgeon Askar Kukkady led a team of 50 specialists from Waikato Hospital and Auckland hospitals.
The successful separation of the girls, who were joined at the lower back, spine and pelvis, was an Australasian first.
The operations were photographed and video recorded to help teams around the world to deal with a similar situation, Dr Kukkady said.
Meanwhile people needing physiotherapy treatment in Christchurch Hospital have had their waiting time in emergency rooms cut from several hours down to about 30 minutes.
The Front Door Physio project is a full-time physiotherapy service which was set up in the emergency department of the hospital, Canterbury DHB spokesman John Kenny said.
Twenty-two finalists were competing in the HIA , which was a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, and recognised individuals and organisations that had developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.
This year's HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.
- NZPA
