November 08, 2021
Media Release: Trawling through Northland on an impossible mission
Trawling through Northland on an impossible mission
Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said the team who have travelled to the North to help lift and support the the regions low Māori vaccination numbers are on an impossible mission.
Raukawa-Tait said without access to the Ministry of Health held data of unvacinated Māori, this was like trawling the ocean without a net.
“The Whānau Ora Provider group will pull together to support one another up and down the country because that’s what we do,” she said.
“Had we the data we requested, we would know where to target and how to approach those yet to be vacinated with manakitanga.
“We have dispatched a team of 70, four large mobiles and trained kaimahi, Northland and I’m in no doubt they will all do their best to make a differnece for our people.
“ Hopefully our hard work approach will help lift the low Northland numbers and keep our whānau safe.”
The Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency took the Ministry of Health to court to gain access to the data of unvaccinated Māori.
But despite the High Court ruling in favour of WOCA, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield waved his extraordinary powers to veto the court decision.
Raukawa-Tait said it was not only disappointing but timewasting for WOCA to expend more resource to take on the burearcrats.
“The data map (attached) is where we know there are unvaccinated whānau. This really is needles in haystacks,” she said.
ENDS