March 04, 2024
Health sector in headache mode
The head of Māori public health advocacy organisation Hapai Te Hauora says it’s not a good time to make major changes to the health system.
The Government has moved to unwind the Māori Health Authority and return a lot of its contracts and staff to Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health.
It has also scrapped smokefree regulations that would have reduced the number of tobacco outlets, reduced the nicotine content in cigarettes and banned young people from buying smoking tobacco.
Jacqui Harema says the health system is already stressed and it’s failing not only whānau Māori but other New Zealanders.
“The good thing about Te Aka Whai Ora was it was also going to make mainstream providers accountable for how they deliver services to Māori. It’s already a stretched health system. We’re already got long waiting times. And now to implement something new, I just think it’s going to be devastating for our whānau,” she says.
Hapai Te Hauora could be keen to pick up some Te Aka Whai Ora staff with high level advocacy skills.