Health Minister must go
Health Minister must go
Annette King is
completely out of touch with the health portfolio and the
Prime Minister must dump her in Monday’s Cabinet reshuffle,
says National’s Health spokeswoman, Judith Collins.
A Government review released on Thursday indicates that the race-based component of PHO funding is likely to be scrapped.
Ms Collins says this is at odds with the Minister’s constant assurance that ‘the funding for health organisations is based on need, not on race’.
“The health system that Annette King oversees is riddled with PC-nonsense and treatyology – but the Minister constantly denies that.
For example:
In the Hawke’s Bay, Maori and Pacific Island patients receive free taxi rides to their medical appointments.
People living in areas with significant Maori and Pacific populations receive cheaper doctors visits than other New Zealanders.
District Health Boards must have at least two Maori members.
“Annette King has lead the health system down a dangerous path of waste and bureaucracy. The Minister has:
Created 21 new District Health Board bureaucracies with a system of governance that set them up to fail.
Fought for DHBs to be elected using STV – a system that saw six weeks pass before votes were finalised.
Spent $3 billion more each year than in 1999, yet producing fewer operations.
“This is a Minister that has cost New Zealanders’ lives by wasting precious health dollars buying votes while productivity plummets. Helen Clark must dump her,” says Ms Collins.