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Download AudioWhānau Ora Commissioning Agency head John Tamihere says access to data has become a life and death issue for Māori – and it’s one they can’t lose.
The agency has won another order from the High Court directing Health Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield to reconsider his refusal to give the agency data on Māori in Te Ika a Maui who are unvaccinated or are lagging on getting their second shot.
Mr Tamihere says the ministry won’t let whānau ora providers do a job it has proved itself capable of doing, whether it is vaccinating Māori or supporting them if they get Covid-19.
He’s taking other cases over two Auckland men who died last month in self-isolation from what an initial investigation said were preventable causes.
“They were sent and knowingly sent home to die. The system never looked after them and at every step of the way – when one boy was trying to ring them to say ‘I feel really crook, I think I need to go to the hospital,’ and the caller said ‘no, you’re going to be OK.’ How did the caller know that? You’ve got to send someone out,” Mr Tamihere says.
He says more than 2000 Māori are in self-isolation in Tāmaki Makaurau, and the Health Ministry refuses to tell whānau ora providers where they are so support can be offered.
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