Cuts to health mean DHB must decide: Children or the elderly?

“While the Government continues to cut health services across the country, children and elderly in Porirua might soon be pitted against each other in the fight for health funding” said Mana MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban today.
Capital and Coast District Health Board today released a report on Children’s Health in Porirua. The report focused on the poor health statistics for children in Porirua where children have twice the admission rate for serious infections, and where the highest rate of rheumatic fever exists anywhere in the country.
“The report recommended a strategic priority for children’s health within the DHB, to establish a child health action plan, and to redress the current imbalance of funding for child health services” said Winnie Laban.
“Also contained in the report was an acknowledgement of the problem of fees charged to children under 6 at Kenepuru A&M.
“This has been a huge problem for families with young children in Porirua. Why should these charges apply at Kenepuru when they don’t at Wellington hospital?
“While addressing this with the steps the report suggests are a good idea, the fact that the DHB feels it would need to draw down expenditure on services to older people in order to fund them is very worrying.
“Why should DHB’s be put in the position of deciding whose health is more important, children or the elderly, as the Government continues to cut frontline health services.
“Recently, Grey Power Southland lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commissioner about the ongoing cuts to home help for the elderly, and Capital and Coast DHB have cut $5 million in Mental Health provision, and have undergone a “planned reduction in activity” to save money.
“Capital and Coast DHB are right to want to prioritise children’s health, but the trade off that they are facing highlights the Government’s lack of concern about the healthcare of New Zealanders.”