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The Medical Council wants doctors to work in partnership with Maori to address issues of inequity in the health system.
Chair Andrew Connolly says it’s almost 10 years since the council published standards on cultural competence, but Maori still experience poorer outcomes than other groups.
That’s unacceptable, and there are professional and moral obligations to address inequity.
Maori engagement with, and representation at, all levels in the health sector is vital to improving Maori health outcomes.
Mr Connolly says the profession needs to support Maori doctors in their advocacy and leadership roles within the profession and in society.
Vocational colleges also need to review how they can support their Maori fellowship in the wider roles these doctors are expected to perform.
For the first time this year Maori students entered medical school in the same proportion as the Maori population, and the challenge now is to ensure that demographic proportionality will continue through all layers of health organisations.
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