Seeing red over high health costs

DON SCOTT/The Press

EYES OPENED: Glennis Lane is grateful to the Charity Hospital for the cataract surgery she needed but could not afford.

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Cataract surgery for Christchurch woman Glennis Lane would have taken a "huge chunk" of a small retirement fund.

Lane, 66, first had cataract surgery on an eye four years ago when she and her husband were working, and they paid for a private operation.

She was told at the time that she would need her other eye done within three years, and during that time she retired because of health problems.

When her GP told her this year that she needed another operation, the $4000 cost was daunting.

Lane said she was angry that she could not use the public system as she and family members had worked in public hospitals. "My husband was pretty angry too, but it's just life," she said.

She put her name down for surgery at Christchurch's Charity Hospital, thinking it probably would not get in touch.

"But surprise, surprise, they did, and I had it done in November," she said.

Lane said her community services card and low GP fees for pensioners made accessing healthcare easier, but if she or her husband needed surgery such as a hip operation, it would "clean out the bank".

- © Fairfax NZ News