Whanganui letters: Health centralisation of concern to secondary services, rural communities

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Te Oranganui and other health providers during her visit to Whanganui on May 6.

The Prime Minister, during her visit to Whanganui, focused on addiction and mental health services (Chronicle, May 7). In particular she is trying to scale up services provided by primary health including iwi health providers and GP practices.

Of concern is the demise of DHBs and centralising to Wellington, the effect this would have on our secondary community and inpatient psychiatric services, then they are themselves currently under resourced.

Also with the proposed parallel provisions of Health NZ and Māori Health, funding will be stretched at the top end.

Given that GP practices operate under a business model, where would the funding come from to scale up this service? It is also difficult for rural services to attract GPs and therefore likely to be just as difficult to attract qualified mental health staff to these rural outposts.

Perhaps on her next visit to town our Prime Minister should visit the country.

ROB THOMSON
Social worker
Parapara

Good for business

It is good to see society is starting to recognise the value of entrepreneurs - intrepid people with ideas of what is needed in our society and try to supply product to this need.

South Taranaki Council is hosting a business workshop over 10 days to help entrepreneurs get their head around what is needed to establish a successful business, help with their desire to succeed.

Some will create successful businesses that become an important part of our economy, creating those very important things in society called jobs.

Quite a few will fail but should not be ostracised for that, they will have learnt a lot and if we look after them, pat them on the back for trying, they will try again, and will have learnt a lot from their first attempt. No All Black gets there without a lot of losses, a lot of learning.

GARTH SCOWN
Whanganui

Historical relevance

Please let me quote a post I stumbled across on the internet a few days ago, the author of which is not identified ... The quotation is as follows:

"We live in a generation of emotionally weak people who need everything watered down for them because it is offensive to them, including the truth." Looks like the nanny state that New Zealand has become in recent years.

I submit this quotation in the hope that Mike Walker from Fordell can see the error of his ways in his comment in the Chronicle published on May 8.

Unfortunately, sometimes editorial "abridgement" results in some relevant content being removed that is actually pertinent to the intention or meaning of the original document. This ability is beyond the reach of us mere mortals who must accept that we are not the masters of our own written destiny.

To Mike let me say that I cannot accept his obvious belief that historical dealings between Māori and non-Māori are still relevant and that recompense is required to this day. Perhaps he may wish to consider that all parties in the Boer War, World War I, World War II and Vietnam and numerous conflicts have moved on and are "friends" again.

Regardless of whether specific organisations to meet Māori expectations are right or wrong, I question whether Māori will patronise the "new" system or will continue with their involvement in the current multiracial systems and benefits available to all New Zealanders.

Let's give it a rest!

D PARTNER
Eastown

Click here to email us a letter.