Letters: Making health a political football; Motuihe Island tourist attraction; making a mess in Meola Rd

"Very few medical graduates opt to go into general practice." Photo / Getty Images

Letters to the Editor

Making health a political football

Once again the crisis in primary healthcare has been in the news, and once again the Minister of Health, currently Dr Shane Reti, has said that this is a priority (NZ Herald, Sept 4).

It was supposed to be a priority for the last administration, but it proved to be anything but. National was elected with the promise of establishing a third medical school with a focus on primary care.

Over the last year, we have heard that there is now a “memorandum of understanding” and that a business case is being worked on. Such information will be of little comfort to those waiting in the cold from 6am to see a doctor.

It will take 10 years to establish this third medical school and produce its first graduates. When 50% of GPs indicate they want to exit general practice within six years, the word “catastrophe” rather than “crisis” looming seems more appropriate.

Very few medical graduates opt to go into general practice. Of all the medical specialities, it requires the largest breadth of knowledge and the largest depth of heart, especially coping with the downstream effects of failed government fiscal and social decisions. It is also the least well-remunerated by far. But it has the most power to do good for the overall health status of a community. As the proverb goes, “A stitch in time saves nine”.

After 40 years in primary care, me and my older colleagues have watched as politicians have played political football with health and made convenient excuses when things don’t improve. What is required (and was 10, indeed 20 years ago) is a bipartisan agreement to seriously address these issues together.

If a new medical school gets the nod, I fear that a new administration will once again cancel it, and we will be back to square one.

Dr John Kyle, Ōrewa.

Hauraki jewel

Correspondent Glen Stanton suggests Auckland needs a world-class attraction (NZ Herald, Sept 5).

We have such an attraction. Motuihe Island, the jewel in the Hauraki Gulf, is only a short boat ride from downtown Auckland. Motuihe has five sandy beaches, an established bush with large canopy trees and a range of released endangered birds including kiwi, tieki, kākāriki and also tuatara.

It is not only a nature reserve, it has a fascinating history with quarantine stations, WWI internment and prisoner of war camp, a children’s health camp in the 1930s and a Navy base with coastal defences during WWII. To top it off a famous escape by the German prisoner Count Felix von Luckner.

All it lacks is a regular ferry from downtown Auckland. The Red Boats have heroically tried to run a ferry service from Westhaven but the location is a barrier to Aucklanders, let alone overseas visitors.

Fiona Alexander, Pakuranga.

Meola Rd mess

If the board of Auckland Transport had visited the roadworks associated with the resealing of Meola Rd, I am sure they would not have given Dean Kimpton a substantial increase in salary (NZ Herald, Sept 4).

Meola Rd is narrower than it was and all parking has been removed. A bus stop is located so that cars cannot get past a stopped bus. All this is to accommodate a new wide cycle lane that would have been better and cheaper if it had been routed via two schools and along suburban streets.

On Pt Chevalier Rd there are five expensive new raised pedestrian crossings and one of them has six traffic light poles. There is very little provision for parking so the local shops are doomed.

The project has been badly managed, public communication seems to be non-existent and the whole operation has taken much longer than predicted. I’m sure it has blown its budget by millions of dollars.

Bryan Leyland, Pt Chevalier.

Nation-building

NZ is both a young country and an old one. The death of the Māori King has brought many significant issues into the public discourse.

The moving gatherings, ceremonies and vigorous oratory have been outstanding and unique in many people’s experience. One issue that has come to the forefront is that of nation-building. This is a concept that is usually associated with emerging nations.

It would be amazing if the idea of nation-building became a major focus for New Zealand rather than short-term power grabs and political game-playing. Many will say they are involved already but this concept is rarely mentioned or highlighted.

What a fitting legacy to the late King if thinking shifted in this direction.

Barbara Matthews-Hemi, Onehunga.

Flight of fancy

Seeing voting for the Bird of the Year is under way brought back memories of last year’s Bird of the Century competition and the antics of US comedian and talk show host John Oliver. He took the competition worldwide, and due to his hilarious campaign to get people to vote for the pūteketeke, a bird most of us had never heard of, it won.

Those at Forest & Bird are probably hoping that “seriousness” will prevail this year, but I’m secretly hoping someone with a clever sense of humour will again be able to add a comical note to the competition.

Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.