DHB writes off $160,000 debt owed by tourist

The Auckland District Health Board has written off more than $160,000 in debt owed by a tourist from Fiji.

The patient arrived in New Zealand on a visitor's permit, but while here was admitted to Auckland City Hospital with serious heart problems, Radio New Zealand reported.

A lawyer for the DHB, Bruce Northey, said the patient was ineligible for publicly funded healthcare and did not have insurance.

He says the patient's family in Auckland has acknowledged liability for the debt, but is not able to pay it.

The DHB spent $16 million on non-eligible patients last year, and has $2 million in unpaid debt.

- NZPA