2 x Articles - 5/9/19 - Midwives, Hauora report

[Kiwi Frontline]

MORE MĀORI MIDWIVES NEEDED TO HANDLE RISING DEMAND

Nga Maia, an organisation for Māori midwives, said there has been no Māori workforce strategy for the last two decades. It said only 9 percent of all midwives were Māori, despite Māori babies making up over 20 percent of those born every year.

In some areas there were few midwives at all - let alone Māori midwives - and those who were practicing had waitlists of up to five months and were having to turn down whānau, it said.....

www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/398160/more-maori-midwives-needed-to-handle-rising-demand

[Kiwi Frontline]

REVIEW PANEL’S FINDINGS ECHO WAITANGI TRIBUNAL HAUORA REPORT

“The findings of the Health and Disability Sector Review echo what the Waitangi Tribunal found in its Hauora report in July this year.” says Simon Royal, NHC Chief Executive.

“The Waitangi Tribunal saw the persistent inequities for Māori as evidence that the Crown was in breach of Treaty of Waitangi principles when it comes to primary care. In fact the Tribunal noted ‘the primary health care system itself is not calibrated to address Māori Needs’, which is contrary to our rights as citizens”.

“A solution the Tribunal thought was worth exploring was an independent Māori hauora authority – and in its report the Tribunal recommended the claimants and the Crown worked together on a terms of reference for this authority by January 2020. As one of the claimants, I support this wholeheartedly, and see it as a critical step to addressing the humanitarian crisis of Māori health”.....

www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1909/S00063/review-panels-findings-echo-waitangi-tribunal-hauora-report.htm