Post by Kiwi Frontline on Jul 1, 2024 15:36:09 GMT 12
Graham Adams: THE CANCER SOCIETY IS RACIST? REALLY?
Last week, the NZ Herald republished a story from Te Ao Māori News that recounted how a young-ish Māori woman had felt that staff at the Cancer Society’s Domain Lodge had “discriminated” against her during her stay there and that they had shown a lack of cultural competency.
The Domain Lodge is a purpose-built facility a short stroll from Auckland Hospital that offers accommodation for patients who have to travel from out of town for cancer treatment. It is a modern, well-maintained building with a shared kitchen where patients can cook their own meals. It has expert cancer nurses on hand, who are in close contact with the staff at the hospital treatment centres, and there are free counselling services.
The woman, Heeni Hoterene — a Northland advocate for traditional rongoā medicine and maramataka that incorporates the healing power of the moon — was apparently asked to vacate her room at 10am “because all the rooms were booked out”. She was told that she could, if she wanted, stay in the building and sit in the living area until another room was ready for her at 2pm.
The terms and conditions make it clear that “Domain Lodge functions like a motel. It is not a health-care facility and is unsuitable for people who require a high level of care.” Nevertheless, Hoterene complained to Te Ao Māori News that she objected to having to vacate her room and that she didn’t want to feel exposed in a public area after receiving radiation treatment.
She said: “Everyone else gets to recover privately in their room. Why am I the one that’s being moved out of my room?” She alleged it was because she was Māori, had a moko kauae and was younger than all the other guests.
The journalist who repeated her allegations did not critically examine them; it seemed sufficient to simply assert them. And that, perhaps, should not be surprising given the mainstream media has been on a mission for years now to interpret any adverse statistics in Māori health or perceived errors in diagnosis and treatment as a direct result of institutional racism.
Their aim can be best achieved, of course, by a very selective presentation of the facts. Certainly Hoterene’s complaints might have been viewed differently if the article had mentioned that she had stayed at The Lodge for five days — and that accommodation for cancer patients is provided free of charge.
The story in Te Ao Māori News and the Herald didn’t mention that many patients are able to continue to work while they are undergoing radiotherapy. Indeed, as Hoterene told her 55,000 Facebook followers in a video clip last Friday, she expected to be well enough after her final radiation session that morning to be driven the three hours to her home in Northland. In that context, a few hours snoozing in the lobby doesn’t seem like a particular hardship.
She had also been well enough to go out dining and dancing (“kanikani”) on K’ Rd, a kilometre or so from The Lodge, the previous evening.
Of course, it’s always possible it was a mistake for the lodge staff to have asked her to vacate her room. Perhaps she was more fragile and fatigued than she appeared. Given she was younger than the other patients, perhaps she was mistakenly assessed as being more resilient. But why would media organisations so credulously repeat accusations of cultural insensitivity and discrimination as the reason she had to temporarily vacate her room?
The answer, of course, is obvious. Without the allegation of “discrimination” — meaning racism — there would have been no story. There is nothing remarkable about a patient being inconvenienced. Hospitals are forced to juggle patients and beds constantly. Just last week, Auckland Hospital Maternity Services warned expectant mothers they may be discharged three to four hours after giving birth. Now that’s a story.....
breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2024/07/graham-adams-cancer-society-is-racist.html
Last week, the NZ Herald republished a story from Te Ao Māori News that recounted how a young-ish Māori woman had felt that staff at the Cancer Society’s Domain Lodge had “discriminated” against her during her stay there and that they had shown a lack of cultural competency.
The Domain Lodge is a purpose-built facility a short stroll from Auckland Hospital that offers accommodation for patients who have to travel from out of town for cancer treatment. It is a modern, well-maintained building with a shared kitchen where patients can cook their own meals. It has expert cancer nurses on hand, who are in close contact with the staff at the hospital treatment centres, and there are free counselling services.
The woman, Heeni Hoterene — a Northland advocate for traditional rongoā medicine and maramataka that incorporates the healing power of the moon — was apparently asked to vacate her room at 10am “because all the rooms were booked out”. She was told that she could, if she wanted, stay in the building and sit in the living area until another room was ready for her at 2pm.
The terms and conditions make it clear that “Domain Lodge functions like a motel. It is not a health-care facility and is unsuitable for people who require a high level of care.” Nevertheless, Hoterene complained to Te Ao Māori News that she objected to having to vacate her room and that she didn’t want to feel exposed in a public area after receiving radiation treatment.
She said: “Everyone else gets to recover privately in their room. Why am I the one that’s being moved out of my room?” She alleged it was because she was Māori, had a moko kauae and was younger than all the other guests.
The journalist who repeated her allegations did not critically examine them; it seemed sufficient to simply assert them. And that, perhaps, should not be surprising given the mainstream media has been on a mission for years now to interpret any adverse statistics in Māori health or perceived errors in diagnosis and treatment as a direct result of institutional racism.
Their aim can be best achieved, of course, by a very selective presentation of the facts. Certainly Hoterene’s complaints might have been viewed differently if the article had mentioned that she had stayed at The Lodge for five days — and that accommodation for cancer patients is provided free of charge.
The story in Te Ao Māori News and the Herald didn’t mention that many patients are able to continue to work while they are undergoing radiotherapy. Indeed, as Hoterene told her 55,000 Facebook followers in a video clip last Friday, she expected to be well enough after her final radiation session that morning to be driven the three hours to her home in Northland. In that context, a few hours snoozing in the lobby doesn’t seem like a particular hardship.
She had also been well enough to go out dining and dancing (“kanikani”) on K’ Rd, a kilometre or so from The Lodge, the previous evening.
Of course, it’s always possible it was a mistake for the lodge staff to have asked her to vacate her room. Perhaps she was more fragile and fatigued than she appeared. Given she was younger than the other patients, perhaps she was mistakenly assessed as being more resilient. But why would media organisations so credulously repeat accusations of cultural insensitivity and discrimination as the reason she had to temporarily vacate her room?
The answer, of course, is obvious. Without the allegation of “discrimination” — meaning racism — there would have been no story. There is nothing remarkable about a patient being inconvenienced. Hospitals are forced to juggle patients and beds constantly. Just last week, Auckland Hospital Maternity Services warned expectant mothers they may be discharged three to four hours after giving birth. Now that’s a story.....
breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2024/07/graham-adams-cancer-society-is-racist.html