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June 30, 2022
Concern SUDi could go awry in health shake up
Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira
Posted On June 30, 2022
Download AudioA leader in tackling sudden unidentified death in infants is concerned programmes could be set back by the health reforms.
David Tipene-Leach says 60 percent of SUDI cases being Māori and 20 percent Pacific Island – mostly in households living under stress.
He says a recent Health Ministry evaluation found SUDI services are fragmented, poorly led and poorly funded, with 22 different sources of funding.
That’s similar to the findings of a review done in 2016, which had drastic consequences.
“They sacked all the Māori women who were working on the programmes, and they did nothing for 18 months. It started again. Hopefuly they are not going to do the same thing this time. The risk is they are going to shut down the programmes and sit on their hands while the health service reforms itself, so when is the Māori Health Authority going to take this over, when is Health NZ going to take this over, when is somebody going to spend time and attention on young brown families basically in South Auckland,” Dr Tipene-Leach says.
He wants to expand programmes include widening distribution of the wahākura and pepi sleep pods which have led to significant reductions in deaths.
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