An expert says many more babies would survive if the country quit smoking and reduced its obesity.

All elective surgery has been postponed at Auckland and Starship Hospitals as technicians scramble to fix a back-up power failure at Auckland and Starship hospitals.

Midwives are being sought in Christchurch as the number of premature births rises in the wake of Tuesday's earthquake.

An Australian army field hospital is set to be turned into a community health centre as authorities work to prevent a medical crisis in Christchurch.

Christchurch hospitals are busy but coping as patient numbers swell from the earthquake.

North Island hospitals are receiving Christchurch earthquake victims and plan to send specialists to help in the devastated city.

A medical recruitment company claims to have seen a 300 per cent rise in New Zealand doctors leaving to find better pay in Australia in the last year.

Reforms helped create IT systems that are envied by other countries.