A husband feeling the pain of not being able to visit his seriously ill wife in hospital is begging for the strict rules on visitors to be relaxed.
The Ministry of Health's new policy for how visits will work during Level 3 is set to be revealed within the next few days.
But Ian Drake is desperate to see his seriously ill wife Judith.
The 73-year-old has been in Palmerston North Hospital for the past three weeks, struggling to recover from emergency abdominal surgery.
"Judy and I have been best mates for the last 56 years and nobody has the right to break the wairua, that partnership, and so I'm desperate to get entrance to that hospital," Mr Drake says.
He was allowed to see her briefly when she first came out of surgery.
But over the weekend, Ms Drake deteriorated to the point where she was saying her last goodbyes.
Mr Drake still wasn't allowed in.
"I need to be there to hold her hand, whether she passes or whether she doesn't," he says.
Dr Bloomfield said the visitor policy is being worked on but safety still has to be a top priority. (Source: Other)
There are some exceptions for visitors; women giving birth, children and terminally ill patients are all allowed a support person.
But situations like the Drake family's raise questions about how gravely ill does someone need to be before a visit is granted.
"The compassionate grounds, which is up to the charge nurse and the medical lead in leading the case and in charge of the case, is where for example a patient is extremely unwell and that may be the reason for them to come into hospital," MidCentral DHB chief medical officer Dr Jeff Brown says.
"And then once they are stabilised and are no longer extremely unwell, then the visiting ends.
"I trust the charge nurse and I trust the doctor looking after the case and that is their decision."
The Health Ministry and DHBs are working on a new visitor policy, due out in the next few days.
"Clearly the restrictions on visiting people in hospital do create hardships for family and those in hospital," Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says.
"We are working on visitor policy and how it will work under Level 3."
The new policy will hopefully ease distress for families like Mr Drake's.
"It's for Judith. And it's not for Judith and Ian, it's for the hundreds and hundreds of people up and down the country who have very unwell partners who deserve moral support, handholding, and encouragement to keep going," Mr Drake says.
Patients and their loved ones are hoping at least to end the pain of separation.
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