Charity Health Sad Day For New Zealand

“It is a sad day for New Zealand health when the government is so derelict in its duty that charity groups have to set up their own mobile surgery units for the poor,” said Tom Dowie, Alliance Party Health Spokesperson today.

”Christchurch is about to get its first such unit - a bus. Volunteers from the health sector are set to begin providing free surgery in a bus for patients who cannot access the public health system,” said Tom Dowie

“To quote from the charity groups spokesperson: "Future[charity] hospital patients could be those with hernias not considered serious enough to be treated under the public system, but which left them unable to do their jobs". When the government decides that disabling hernias are no longer serious enough for funding, then the public should be very worried about what is happening to our public health system.”

Tom Dowie said that Alliance policy is to fully fund the public health system and not have regions competing for funding as under the failing 'Population Based Funding' scheme operating at present.

“Given the charity hospital proposals – which are to extend beyond Christchurch to other New Zealand centres – Kiwis need to be more than careful where they place their ticks in the up-coming election,” said Tom Dowie.

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