ASMS

The small number of Māori health practitioners in New Zealand means most hold multiple, varying roles to fill gaps in the health system. Dr Matire Harwood exemplifies the multi-tasking expected of Māori working in health. She is currently a general practitioner, health researcher and Waitematā DHB board member who has worked at the coalface of health for the last 25 years. “We need Māori involved at all levels of the health system,” says Harwood. “It won’t just benefit Māori, it …

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This morning the Nuffield Trust, the Health Foundation and The King’s Fund have published an open letter to all MPs regarding the implications of a no deal Brexit for health and care services. As the Government launches its public campaign to prepare for a no deal Brexit and MPs return from recess tomorrow with a short window to discuss the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, the letter summarises four major areas where the impact …

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An Auckland surgeon and his wife have donated $1 million to help Pasifika students qualify as doctors. Aucklanders John and Rose Dunn are a little self-conscious about having an endowment fund named after themselves. Their $1 million John and Rose Dunn Pasifika Fund will contribute to course fees and accommodation costs through the University of Auckland School of Medicine Foundation. Although the Dunns have always been philanthropic, they’re normally quiet givers and were reluctant to be interviewed or have the …

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The Māori Council has described the latest suicide statistics as a ‘rolling train wreck’. The figures were released officially late on Monday afternoon after the Council broke the Chief Coroner’s embargo originally scheduled for tomorrow. It showed there were 685 suicides in the year to June 30 – 17 more than last year. Māori suicides which were already disproportionately high – they’ve jumped further, with 169 Māori people dying by suicide in the year to June 30, up 27 from …

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Tobacco giant Philip Morris approached a district health board offering to give devices away at no cost for “community-based trials, data collection and monitoring”. The company claimed there would be a significant public health benefit in the plan – especially for Maori, Pasifika and low income groups. After inquiries from RNZ, the Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield emailed all DHBs warning them not to accept the Philip Morris offer. Richard Edwards of Otago University’s Department of Public Health says …

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Tobacco giant Philip Morris has been trying to gain access to a major Auckland poverty group in a bid to promote its vaping and smokeless tobacco devices to poor people. The tobacco company has also been lobbying DHBs in a bid to get its smokeless tobacco devices used by community health providers running quit smoking groups. Listen here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018710529/tobacco-giant-targets-poor-people-to-promote-vaping-products Read more here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/115302053/philip-morris-tried-to-target-poor-through-poverty-group-and-a-dhb

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A range of recent official and anecdotal reports have highlighted workplace culture issues at various Southern District Health Board sites. Health reporter Mike Houlahan asks if one of the region’s largest employers is one of the worst places to work. This week Otago Daily Times readers learned of claims junior doctors had been “broken” by bullying, favouritism and humiliation during their time in Dunedin Hospital’s gastroenterology department. Read more here: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/workplace-culture-sdhb-under-microscope The ODT followed up the article after hearing reader feedback …

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Southland Hospital general surgeons have called on the Southern District Health Board to immediately implement the recommendations of its own external review for bowel cancer treatment. The six surgeons have written an open letter saying it is disheartening the DHB is still requesting they apply criteria to colonoscopy access, even after the patient has been seen by a gastrointestinal specialist surgeon. Last month a damning external audit was released, saying the DHB had serious problems controlling bowel cancer and there were lengthy delays for …

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The arrest of four Turkish health professionals for providing medical care to a wounded child in Turkey during a curfew has been deplored by the World Medical Association (WMA) and the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME). The four health staff – a physician Dr. Nesim Sayın and three nurses – were detained and arrested by Turkish authorities earlier this month following a police raid on their homes. According to information from their lawyers, they provided care to a 12-year-old …

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A research paper conducted by the University of Otago that was published today has shown a strong link between damp, mouldy housing and hospital admissions for young children with respiratory infections. “This research confirms the extra burden placed on too many families trying to keep their children safe. Poor housing standards that harm children are totally unacceptable”, said Green Party housing spokesperson Marama Davidson. “We need to see more urgent progress on enforcing the Government’s healthy homes standards. Housing New …

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