Editorial: How crisis dealt with questioned

Questions are being raised over when Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule knew about a health problem, and why it took so long for the public to find out.

There are many questions that still need to be answered about the gastro crisis that struck Havelock North.

It is still quite unbelievable that it happened and hopefully a full scale inquiry will get to the bottom of it all.

There has been anger over the way the public was informed about the crisis - and rightly so.

The first official word we heard was late on Friday afternoon when the Hawke's Bay District Health Board informed us.

By then, word had been coming in about a major illness sweeping through Havelock North.

If Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule knew about it at 2.30pm on Friday, why did it take so long for the public to be told?

The risk of spreading panic is given as the reason but, in this case, I believe it would have been better to have gone public with whatever they knew. Also, what were those councillors who are now criticising the mayor and CEO doing about the situation on Friday?

The full council and council management need to take responsibility for mishandling this crisis from the start. The quick apology in our paper on Monday was not enough.

And why does the Ministry of Education not have a system where schools inform them of mass absenteeism, which would then enable them to notify other government agencies?

Also, if many people were presenting at the hospital and doctors' rooms with the same symptoms, surely the DHB could have notified the council and public sooner?

With local government and DHB elections looming, the incumbents on the council and DHB board need to start finding answers very quickly.

Malfunctions like this are simply not acceptable.