April 22, 2021
Health system given room to evolve
Health Minister Andrew Little expects whānau ora principles to become part of a revamped health system.
Before the public announcement of the reform package yesterday, the minister briefed WAI 2575 claimants and other Māori health leaders, who he says will pay a part in shaping the new Māori Health Authority.
He says getting rid of district health boards and having a single body, HealthNZ, provides a better platform for partnership.
Māori providers want to be able to deal with the whole range of issues fasing a client and not just whatever brings them to the clinic.
"And that may well be the case for the rest of the health system as well. I think of Pākehā, they turn up, it may be a mental health issue, it may be a physical health issue, and doctors tell me you might find a whole bunch of other things connected with it. I think the way health is evolving is changing and kaupapa Māori health services are leading the way in much more modern approaches to health care," Minister Little says.
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