Southland maternity specialist Dr Jim Faherty will soon be back at work after being granted an emergency spot in MIQ.

Faherty, the clinical director of the women's health unit at the Southland Hospital, was twice denied a spot in a managed isolation facility. 

He'd travelled to the United States in August to support his terminally ill father, who had been given six months to live. His mother died earlier this year. 

Two applications for a spot and a subsequent appeal were declined because he did not meet the eligibility criteria, which focuses on overseas critical health workers starting jobs in NZ.

Advertisement: Ten Ten Thai Street Food

That's despite being the only doctor who could perform certain surgeries at the hospital. Patients who needed those operations had to either delay surgery or travel. 

But his third application was successful. 

He is due to arrive back in New Zealand today, to begin a two-week stay in managed isolation, after testing negative for Covid-19 before flying.

National's Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds and Southland MP Joseph Mooney both highlighted the issue.

Advertisement: Fiordland Marine

"I think that common sense has prevailed here and that a result, which we can all be happy with, has been achieved," Simmonds said.

"I'm pleased that my colleague Joseph Mooney MP, and I were able to highlight this issue and put pressure on the decision makers, with a positive outcome now occurring.

"However, it has also drawn attention to the unnecessary difficulties many are experiencing in getting much-needed health workers into this country through MIQ."

The two MPs published an open letter to the Prime Minister over the weekend, calling for urgent action to get Dr Faherty back into the country.

"It's a great relief to know that he will soon be back on the job, supporting Southland mothers and babies."