The Navy Hospital, historically the Royal New Zealand Navy Hospital (RNZNH) is the hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 of the New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

. It is located in Devonport

Devonport, New Zealand

Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...

, on Devonport Naval Base

Devonport Naval Base

Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and was a navy base from as far back as 1841...

 in Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

. The hospital specialises in surgery and hyperbaric treatment

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric medicine, also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy , is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. The equipment required consists of a pressure chamber, which may be of rigid or flexible construction, and a means of delivering 100% oxygen...

.

History

Founded in 1941 (before, 'sick quarters' facilities had been restricted to two wooden huts), the hospital was constructed (and still remains) on the cliff overlooking the naval base. The hospital expanded in the early 1980s with a new wing, and started hiring civilian staff in the 1990s. Currently (2008), the hospital treats both military and civilian patients, and operates as an accredited part of the New Zealand Health system. It has beds for 25 inpatients.

Hyperbaric Unit

The hospital is New Zealand's leader in diving and hyperbaric medical training and expertise, as well as having the only North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

 facility to treat diving related emergencies, such as decompression sickness

Decompression sickness

Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...

 ('the bends'). The 'Slark' Hyperbaric Unit is used for both emergency treatment and non-urgent Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for general medical needs, including use by the public.

External links

• Navy Hospital (official website)