I am devastated for the families affected by our failing health system and the lack of appropriate cancer treatment recently highlighted in Otago and Southland.
Despite the best efforts of all our local medical and nursing staff, people in the Southern region are just not getting the same access to care that’s available in other regions.
In 2017 Labour campaigned hard on providing improved health services, but six years on nothing has improved, in fact services have deteriorated.
In June last year a report, by independent consultants Sapere Research Group, said that Southern health services were “stuck in crisis mode.”
Our ED department was over-run, with wait times well beyond what was clinically acceptable, often patients couldn’t be admitted to medical wards because they were full, or there were no nurses to resource the beds.
The report stated that there were “unsustainable demand pressures on Southland Hospital (and other services)” if we didn’t change the way we did things.
That report fell on deaf ears and shortly after its publication the Government disestablished the Southern District Health Board, on July 1, and created its Health NZ juggernaut, costing taxpayers $486 million.
Imagine what could have been achieved if those millions had been spent directly on health services, but wait there’s more, with reports last week that the new Maori Health Authority is currently spending $1.15 million a month on contractors and consultants.
Meanwhile in Southland there is no commitment from Government to address our chronic GP and nurse shortage, reduce waiting lists, improve access to cancer or gynaecological services, or add additional beds and operating theatres at Southland Hospital.
Published by arrangement.