Both public and private Medical facilities are of a high standard.
There are telephone numbers for hospitals and doctors listed at
the front of local telephone directories. If visitors are in need
of drugs or pharmaceutical supplies outside regular shopping hours,
they should look for the location of the nearest pharmacy under
‘Urgent Pharmacies’ in the local telephone directory.
Another option is to check with hotels, as many have doctors on
call.
Long term visitors with a valid permit to stay for 2 or more years
are entitled to the same health care services as New Zealand citizens.
New Zealand has a shared health agreement with the UK, which allows
the short term British visitors to publicly funded health treatment.
British citizens will receive funded treatment in hospital, but
must pay the charges for any outpatients and private doctors. Medical
insurance is advised to cover the additional charges.
Food
and Drink
The tap water is considered safe to drink. Dairy products are also
considered safe for consumption and milk is pasturised. Local vegetables,
fruit, seafood, poultry, and meat are mainly considered safe to
eat.
Other risks
There is only 1 poisonous creature and this is the very rare katipo
spider.
There are no snakes or dangerous wild animals in New Zealand.
Sand flies are only common in Fiordland, but are easily controlled
with insect repellent.
