Charity Health comes to New Zealand
Alliance health spokesperson Tom Dowie put out the following statement today. I agree completely with his comments and am pleased to say Tom is going to be one of our Alliance candidates this year.

CHARITY HEALTH SAD DAY FOR NEW ZEALAND

“It is a sad day for New Zealand health when the government is so derelict in
its duty that charity groups have to set up their own mobile surgery units for
the poor,” said Tom Dowie, Alliance Party Health Spokesperson today.

”Christchurch is about to get its first such unit - a bus. Volunteers from
the health sector are set to begin providing free surgery in a bus for
patients who cannot access the public health system,” said Tom Dowie

“To quote from the charity groups spokesperson: "Future[charity] hospital
patients could be those with hernias not considered serious enough to be
treated under the public system, but which left them unable to do their jobs".
When the government decides that disabling hernias are no longer serious
enough for funding, then the public should be very worried about what is
happening to our public health system.”

Tom Dowie said that Alliance policy is to fully fund the public health system
and not have regions competing for funding as under the failing 'Population
Based Funding' scheme operating at present.

“Given the charity hospital proposals – which are to extend beyond
Christchurch to other New Zealand centres – Kiwis need to be more than careful
where they place their ticks in the up-coming election,” said Tom Dowie.

For more information: Tom Dowie (Alliance Party Health Spokesperson)
03 960 6169
- posted by Victor @ 9:29 PM