Greetings OxExpat, in reply to your Post#505.
I agree about the inaccuracies with the blood tests. My wife was unwell for some time and they were not able to diagnose what turned out to be Dengue Fever. This was later picked up on the first test at a Hamilton Diagnostic Lab.
They didn't do too well on the X Ray front either. In late November 1981 I was riding along Korobosea Drive (had just left ANG Hill) on my Yamaha at about 0440 on the way to the PX hangar when a mongrel dog ran out from my right. As the front wheel ran over him I went down and the machine landed on my ribs. Me frame was more broke than first thought as I was unable to kick it hard enough to restart. Other crew members were soon on the scene and a passenger in a car started it and rode it home while Sisa took me back to my house by car. Then made the mistake of taking my broken frame upstairs and getting caste. A quick analysis decided the best way to get a quick admission to POM General Hospital emergency department was by ambulance which duly arrived. Next door neighbour (F27 Captain) removed the legs from our coffee table to use as a stretcher to get me downstairs. On arrival the usual X Rays were taken and they kept me there for a couple of days with a diagnosed broken collar bone. I wanted out of there and a wantok organised a medical trip to Hamilton, via SYD and AKL. They discharged me with a large envelope of X Rays under my arm. Jabber, as the PX medical man, said the trip was unnecessary, but I went anyhow.
After arrival at Hamilton Public the doctor held up the X Rays (I never previously looked at them, or checked the envelope contents) and said "these are not yours". It turned out that what they had given me belonged to someone else who had a broken collar bone but had been a patient at POM about 3 years prior.
New X Rays showed that I had six broken ribs(no wonder me frame had a slight list to one side), and the cause of my right foot discomfort was a broken big toe.
Ya all have a good festive season now. Regards Big E