7 Dec 2018

Rallying round: the health system's quake response

From Nine To Noon, 10:07 am on 7 December 2018
Rescue services at work on the Canterbury Television (CTV) building.

Rescue services at work on the Canterbury Television (CTV) building. Photo: USAR / AFP

When the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes struck, the region was hit with disaster on an unprecedented scale and the health system was challenged like never before.

The injured needed immediate treatment, buildings and equipment were badly damaged,  and yet those working in health system rallied to keep it going.

Emergency Medicine specialist Dr Mike Ardagh and independent science writer Dr Joanne Deely have written a book, Rising from the Rubble, which tells the stories of those who were part of the health system response, and a record of the long-term issues that have been caused by it.