Manukau Courier

Going to hospital used to be something children feared, but not any more.

At Kidz First children’s hospital in South Auckland, children often don’t want to go home.

General Manager Nettie Knetsch says children “absolutely love it” at the hospital.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had one child who hasn’t enjoyed their stay here,” say Ms Knetsch.

With playrooms on every floor, space for families to stay and televisions in the rooms, the hospital is perfectly designed for children.

It has a preschool and hospital school for children who are in hospital for a long time.

There’s colourful pictures on the walls, soft teddy bears by the nurses’ desks and hundreds and hundreds of toys to play with.

“When we designed the hospital, we really looked at what was good for children and their families,” Ms Knetsch says.

KidzFirst was opened two years ago this month, and is one of only two children’s hospitals in the country.

It cares for about 15,000 children every year, who come from all over Counties Manukau as well as Onehunga and Panmure.

The hospital employs hundreds of workers, including paediatricians, nurses, play specialists, orderlies and cleaning staff.

Patients are aged up to 15 years old, which is “a challenge”.

“We have to cater for babies up to teenagers,” she says.

The average stay is just under two days, but some are at the hospital for only a few hours while others stay for several weeks

Ms Knetsch says the most common problems are broken bones, crushed fingers and respiratory illnesses like pneumonia.

Burns and other fractures are also common.

The hospital is a “special place” over the Christmas period, with decorations, cake, carol singing and a Christmas tree.

“It’s not bad to be in hospital on Christmas Day,” she says.

Ms Knetsch says it’s “absolutely essential” to have separate children’s hospitals.

“Children are not mini-adults.”

East Tamaki residents Rajnesh and Saras Kumar agree KidzFirst is “excellent” for young children.

The couple stayined in the hospital for three days with their little boy, Roshan.

At just two weeks old, Roshan developed a urine infection, which Mrs Kumar says was “pretty scary”.

They appreciated the kind help by staff at the hospital. “The service is very, very excellent,” Mr Kumar says.