Naval Health Unit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Naval Health Unit |
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| Royal New Zealand Navy | |
The hospital on Calliope Road
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| Geography | |
| Location | Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°49′44″S 174°47′16″E / 36.82891°S 174.787642°E |
The Navy Health Unit is a special hospital for the New Zealand Navy. It used to be called the Navy Hospital. This hospital is located in Devonport, which is part of Auckland. You can find it right inside the Devonport Naval Base. This health unit is very good at doing surgeries and a special kind of treatment called hyperbaric treatment.
The Navy Health Unit was built in 1941. Before that, the navy only had two small wooden huts for sick people. The hospital was built on a cliff, high above the naval base. It is still there today!
In the early 1980s, the hospital got bigger with a new section. By the 1990s, they started hiring doctors and nurses who were not part of the military. In 2008, the hospital began treating both military people and regular citizens. It is an approved part of New Zealand's health system. The hospital has beds for up to 25 patients who need to stay overnight.
Special Treatments Available
Hyperbaric Unit: Diving and More
The Navy Health Unit is a leader in New Zealand for treating diving problems. They also teach about diving medicine. It has the only special unit in the North Island that can help with diving emergencies. This includes a problem called decompression sickness, also known as 'the bends'.
The special unit is called the 'Slark' Hyperbaric Unit. It is used for emergencies, but also for other health needs. This is called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Even people from the public can use this special treatment if they need it.
