In the Dominion Post today 19.6.09
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/2515279/Swine-flu-overload

there was a purported quote from the Wellington Regional Public Health Medical Officer “explaining” why they had “been forced to move from a containment approach towards managing the pandemic ... We have been humungously busy, under enormous pressure and over-inundated with calls. We have four or five telephone lines open and Telecom cannot provide us with any more. “

Four or five? Good grief what a “humungous” number! One ‘phone line per 90,000 people in the region. If this reflects the level of planning expertise (let alone English skills – “over-inundated”?) or lateral thinking managing the response to this situation, no wonder the Ministry of Health has given up any attempt at containment and has already resorted to managing.

In the unlikely event that Telecom truly cannot provide some additional service by technical means to the current location, has the WRPHMO considered another supplier? Off-shoring the call centre to Egypt? Using VOIP? Setting-up sub-offices? ... I wonder what Telecom think about the statement of their capability?

The WRPHMO could even ask Geekzone’s Supreme Bean to give some advice.