Dr Bryce Wilkinson: EVERY LIFE IS WORTH THE SAME
- Administrator
- Aug 30, 2022
- 1 min read
Are Māori dying earlier because they are Māori? Do Māori lead less healthy lives because they are being discriminated against? And how much racism is there in the New Zealand health system?
These are the questions at the heart of a new report by Senior Fellow Dr Bryce Wikinson.
Bryce researched claims made by the Government that systemic racism is to blame for poor Māori health outcomes. And he also analysed the Government’s prescription to remedy the situation by prioritising health spending for Māori, especially in Pharmac’s medicine procurement.
This is a recording of a webinar on Bryce’s new report. Also interviewed is the author of the foreword, University of Auckland health expert Professor Des Gorman (Ngapuhi).
Together, Bryce and Des discussed if, as the title of the report states, “Every life is worth the same”.
Read more about EVERY LIFE IS WORTH THE SAME – THE CASE FOR EQUAL TREATMENT
Every life, in New Zealand, is precious.
Race, or background, matters not. And it bloody well shouldn't.
And never should .
Skin color? Muslim? Hindi? Catholic? Brown? White? Male? Female? Trans? What the fuck ever.
We all bleed red.
And , that, for me, is it.
Aaron
I would assume that if we‘ve watched this podcast (collectively) we aren’t supporters of the kind of socialist policies being dished out by our current ‘government‘?
Ok.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but have you noticed that we seem to have ’experts’ telling us what they think, and therefore what we should think, on almost a daily basis.
I found it a blessed relief to hear from two who made sense.
Looking back on 40 years of experience in our medical emergency services, I would have to agree with everything they discussed.
In acute settings, human beings pretty much have the same issues: heart attacks, strokes, bleeds, fractures, obstetric emergencies and so on...immediate treatment is the same.
However,…
Recently in Hawkes Bay a Maori man came into A&E seeking treatment. He was triaged and was advised he would be called when it was his turn, it could be some time as the waiting room was full, there had been a traffic accident, the staff were flat out.
He was not pleased , with much posturing and loud derogatory muttering (in English and Maori) he made it known. Finally, in a belligerent and aggressive manner he left his seat to confront two medical staff behind the counter. "Do you speak Maori?" he asked in English. The medicos looked at each other and shook their heads, "No, but do you speak and understand English?" "Huh!," he replied . "Then we'…
With respect to health:
- Demand for health services will always exceed the budget -- ALWAYS.
- Health services have to be rationed (governments hate to use the word RATION).
- Health services must be rationed according to need - NOT race.
- ALL New Zealanders must have equitable access to government health services.
Maori (and Pacifica) health statistics are poor. The best way to address this is according to need. Under the Maori Health Authority, Maori will be preferentially treated and this is unfair to Pacifica people. Once we go down the road of allocating government resources according to race rather than need, we open a Pandoras box of Iniquities.