MANA Leader Hone Harawira Wednesday 11th April

Maori Health Review Nothing But "Blatant Bloody Racism"

“Blatant bloody racism” is how MANA leader Hone Harawira described National’s call for a review into ‘the cost effectiveness of Maori health providers’.

“Government spends $7 million over several years on an assessment tool for adult literacy but only $150,000 on an evaluation tool for Maori health providers and they want it yesterday”.

“And how come government isn’t doing a review into the cost effectiveness of non-Maori health providers as well?”

“I know of heaps of Maori who go to the doctor in real pain and get sent home with an aspirin when they should be getting referred to hospital and yet nothing happens to the doctors” said Harawira. “And every whanau knows of somebody who went to hospital for something minor and died on the operating table and yet nothing happens to the District Health Boards”.

Harawira said that the real scandal was in the inability of mainstream health to reduce the scandalous Maori health statistics.

“Given the billions of dollars spent on non-Maori health providers and the continuing massive inequality in Maori health, the Minister should be calling for a review into why DHB’s refuse to report on targets to reduce Maori health disparities as they are required to do by law”.

“But the Minister wants a review into ‘the cost effectiveness of Maori health providers?”

Harawira said that Maori health providers weren’t opposed to a review but they were worried about the effect the review would have on their ability to turn around the appalling Maori health statistics “particularly when the review was only aimed at them”.

“You measure Maori providers against non-Maori providers and you’ll see a difference alright” said Harawira.

“Maori providers get less than non-Maori providers”.

“And Maori health improves when Maori go to Maori health providers too, because Maori feel comfortable talking to people who understand their situation and care for them, and that’s what Maori health providers do really, really well – engage with Maori and persuade them to change their lifestyles to improve their health”.

“This review is just another example of the institutional racism being used by the National Maori Party government to crush Maori endeavour” said Harawira. “And to nobody’s great surprise, the Maori Party has done a huff and a puff about it and then gone back to sleep”.

“If Maori health providers want to take a strong collective stand on this, then MANA will back them. United we stand, divided …”

ENDS

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