'We cannot miss this moment': Waikato medical school must address health inequities
Photo:
Supplied
A new medical school at the University of Waikato must deliver for Māori, says a Waikato-based Iwi Māori Partnership Board.
The government
announced on Monday
it had approved $82.85 million in government funding toward the school, with the university chipping in more than $150m.
The school would open in 2028, with an initial roll of 120 students.
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) represents 114,000 whānau Māori in the wider Waikato region.
The 15 IMPBs were established in 2022 initially to support the Māori Health Authority and to advocate for whānau and communities in their regions. When the authority was disestablished they
picked up some of its responsibility
.
Te Tiratū co-chair Tipa Mahuta said the investment in the medical school marks a significant opportunity to address long-standing health inequities and workforce shortages in the region - especially for rural, Māori and underserved communities.
Te Tiratū co-chair Tipa Mahuta
Photo:
Supplied/Sarah Sparks
But she said this can only be realised if Māori health workforce development, cultural safety, and equity are embedded as foundational pillars in the new medical school's design, training model, and governance.
"Whānau across Waikato have told us time and again: they want to see more Māori health professionals-people who understand our values, our lived experiences, and our ways of being as Māori.
"Cultural safety is not a nice-to-have. It is essential to clinical excellence, trust, and good health outcomes. If patients don't feel safe, they disengage-and that can cost lives."
An artist's impression of the new Division of Health Precinct at the University of Waikato, which will be home to the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine.
Photo:
Supplied
Te Tiratū urged the government, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Hauora Māori Directorate and the University of Waikato to work closely with iwi, hapū and community partners to shape a graduate school that delivers on its promise - not only to grow the GP workforce of clinical placements across the country, but to heal a system given Māori die on average at least seven years before non-Māori.
"We cannot miss this moment. A third medical school must reflect a third way-a culturally grounded, equity-driven, future-facing model of training that serves all New Zealanders, starting with those most underserved," co-chair Hagen Tautari said.
Te Tiratū was ready to partner and contribute to the new 'Division of Health' health precinct opening on the University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato campus, he said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
'It takes a toll on people' - long-term mental health support needed for flood victims
The Tasman region has been hit by two flood emergencies and repeated orange heavy rain warnings in recent weeks. Photo: Supplied/ Jodie Reed People in the Tasman region will need long-term mental health support after devastating winter floods, a mental health advocate says. Locals have endured two flood emergencies and repeated orange heavy rain warnings in recent weeks. The Rural Support Trust said many already flood-affected residents were feeling tired and very anxious as more heavy rain fell on the region. Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said when disaster struck, people were usually in a more practical mode, adrenaline pumping, and doing what they needed to do to respond. It was the aftermath that could leave some people feeling depressed, hopeless or isolated - a natural human response to a very difficult situation, he said. "It's then when you have to look at the aftermath and the fact that things are not going to go back to the way they were, that can be really difficult and that's when it can really start to affect people's mental health and well-being," Robinson said. "People need to really create a new sense of what living in that place is going to be about." He described what was happening in Tasman as an "ongoing natural disaster" rather than separate floods. Community connections made a big difference. "What we've seen and what farmers and rural people have told us from the Cyclone Gabrielle experience was that it was communities continuing to work together that made the difference to them continuing to have hope and a sense of not being alone in this and therefore boosting their resilience and mental well-being," he said. The government also needed to look at what support it provided, not only offering counselling, Robinson said. "Whatever communities do and whatever government does to respond to a situation like Tasman, really needs to be boosting those community networks, those community responses to this ongoing crisis," he said. "It is the months and even years after these major events that we need to encourage that sense of community resilience and actually put some work into creating and sustaining that community resilience. "That is certainly what the government is responsible for resourcing as part of its response to natural disasters." It was important that communities felt supported and did not feel like the country had forgotten them, he said. Robinson hoped people would feel comfortable to reach out and ask for support if they needed it. Rural Support Trust Nelson Tasman chair Richard Kempthorne said people were getting tired after heavy rain has battered the region multiple times within the space of weeks. "It certainly takes a toll on people. Many of these people who've lived in the area for years and they've lived on their properties for years and they've had flooding before," Kempthorne said. "But very few people have had a flood to this extent." Many people in the Motueka and Wai-iti valleys relied on their business in the area for income so flooding also threatened their livelihoods, he said. "During the flood event, it will just be step back and let it happen. Once it drops, what's the damage left and then what can we do? "What we encourage and what people I think are actually quite good at is to chopping it down into - what do I need to do first and what are the steps I need to take? Not trying to do it all at once and just bite one chunk off at a time." Kempthorne said people should reach out for help as there was support available. That included Taskforce Green which was going onto farms to clear debris, Big Bake in Wakefield which was preparing food for rural communities, Federated Farmers, and the Rural Support Trust which offered counselling support. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
Auckland primary school teacher Aimee-Rose Yates dies following bowel cancer battle
The 32-year-old's brother Mark Mallard posted a tribute to his sister on Facebook, calling her a 'rare soul' with 'laughter, love, and an infectious zest for life'. Auckland primary school teacher Aimee-Rose Yates, a bowel cancer awareness advocate, has died at the age of 32. Photo / Elm Park School 'Aimee lived with us during her final years of high school, and those moments were filled with the kind of warmth only she could bring,' he wrote. 'She chased her dream of becoming a teacher with passion and purpose, and in doing so, she touched the lives of countless children. 'If her impact on them was even half of what she gave to [her nephew] Thomas, then New Zealand has a bright future ahead.' Elm Park School said Yates was known for her kindness, dedication and 'the special way she connected with students and staff alike'. 'Her passion for education, unwavering positivity, and the care she showed to every child will always be remembered,' the school posted on Facebook. 'This is a significant loss for our school whānau. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, Aaron, and Aimee-Rose's family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her. 'Rest in peace, Aimee-Rose. You will be dearly missed and forever remembered.' During a 2023 election debate, Yates challenged then Opposition leader Christopher Luxon and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to lower the national bowel cancer screening age from 60 years old. Every year, more than 3300 New Zealanders are diagnosed with bowel cancer and more than 1200 die from the disease. In December last year, the Government terminated plans for Māori and Pacific people, who are at higher risk of the disease, to access screening at 50 years old. In March, it announced the screening age would be lowered from 60 to 58 for all New Zealanders, with the change taking place on a regional basis from October this year.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike
Nurses held an 8-hour strike last December. A new strike is planned for 24 hours on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Nurses are going on strike on Wednesday. About 36,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants will be off the job from 9am Wednesday to 9am Thursday. Last-ditch negotiations on Monday failed to reach an agreement . There will be pickets and marches throughout the country. Nurses are concerned about staffing levels and safety . The latest pay offer was also dismissed as a "massive backward step" . Health NZ is offering a 3 percent pay rise over 27 months, plus two lump sum payments of $325. NZNO's counter-offer seeks a 5 percent pay rise over two years, along with $2000 flat rate increases for senior positions. The union also seeks to restore a Tikanga Māori allowance. "The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime, PDRP allowance, and penal rates, is $125,662, Health NZ said . "Members also need a wage offer that enables them to meet the rising cost of living without them and their whānau going backwards financially for the important mahi they do," said Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. "We believe the offer we have made to the union is a fair one given our current financial constraints," Health NZ said. In a statement, Health New Zealand said "we are disappointed that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is taking strike action when there is a fair offer on the table." "We are concerned about the impact strike action will have on patients who are waiting for planned care." Goulter said the latest offer from Health New Zealand ignores worries about safe staffing . "Patients are at risk because of short staffing. Nurses, midwives and health care assistants are stretched too thin and can't give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted members who became health care workers because they want to help people." A safe staffing agreement was dropped from negotiations with Health New Zealand. Figures obtained by NZNO from Health New Zealand show surgical hospital wards were short-staffed more than half of all day shifts last year. Health New Zealand said in their statement it also seeks to keep nurses and patients safe. "While we are aware of NZNO's commentary in recent weeks we would like to reassure New Zealanders that Health NZ is completely committed to safe staffing. "For us safe staffing in a busy hospital environment includes the skills mix of the staff, the way care is provided, strong clinical judgement, flexibility and thoughtful decision making from our experienced leaders on the frontline. We take responsibility for operational and patient safety decisions seriously as we are accountable for the safety of patients who access our services." Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Goulter said the key issue was making sure there was enough staff to "ensure patient safety", which was "foremost in the minds of our members" during negotiations. "While, obviously, there's a wage element, we're trying to do our best to ensure we get staffing that's appropriate to meet what patients need and we seem to have come up short on that," he told RNZ recently. Negotiations began last October, but the union said bargaining had stalled over "big ticket items" centred on public safety. Nurses also walked off the job in strike in December for eight hours. "We are striking because patient safety is at risk every day due to chronic understaffing and under-resourcing," Wellington nurse Hilary Gardner said. "We simply don't have enough nurses to provide the level of care our patients need and deserve. It's not safe, and it's not fair - for patients, their whānau, or the staff trying to care for them. We've raised concerns time and time again, but nothing changes - so now we're taking action to stand up for safer care." Acute and emergency services will still be provided, including maternity care, intensive care, ambulance services and emergency departments. Patients already in hospital will still receive ongoing care. "... The public can be reassured that we have an agreement with NZNO for life preserving services support throughout the strike and our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open," Health NZ Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley said. "To maintain patient safety, most clinics will be closed. However, if you have a hospital appointment, please come to your appointment unless we have contacted you directly to reschedule." However, most appointments for the strike days will be rescheduled. "It is estimated that 4300 planned procedures and specialist appointments would have to be postponed should the 24-hour strike action on 30 and 31 July go ahead," Dr Bramley said. Aged residential care, St John Ambulance, GPs and hospice services are not affected by the strike and will carry on as normal. Anyone unsure about whether they need emergency department care should contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The union does not rule out further action if their concerns aren't met, Goulter said. "Our members have indicated this strike is just the beginning and they are in it for the long haul." "Our members don't take this action lightly. They are striking because they are exasperated with being short-staffed and their patients being put at risk because Te Whatu Ora refuses to resource safe staffing levels and instead staffs to an arbitrary budget set by the government. "The public know that when there aren't enough nurses, patients wait longer to get the care they need. Critical observations and treatments may be delayed, errors are more likely and health outcomes worsen. A lack of nurses has reduced numbers of elective surgeries for years and contributed to longer waiting times and the current backlog. "Any member of the public who has been to a hospital recently knows the reality for patients and the nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora who care for them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
