The chair of the National Māori Authority is calling for the chair of Auckland District Health Board to resign after he acknowledged he had preferential treatment when he was given a Covid-19 vaccination despite not being high on the priority list.
Auckland DHB chair Pat Snedden told
Checkpoint how he got a Covid-19 vaccination, along with some other board members, while many frontline workers are yet to get the vaccine. The opportunity arose because of the fact that we ve been very solidly through the frontline staff at ADHB, pretty much everybody who is in the patient-facing part of ADHB has been offered the vaccination, Snedden said.
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
A number of Auckland DHB board members were vaccinated against Covid-19 last week, despite not being frontline health workers.
A Māori leader has called for Auckland District Health Board’s chairman to step down following revelations members of the board were vaccinated against Covid-19 ahead of some frontline workers.
Stuff revealed some members of the DHB s 11-person board had received their first Covid-19 vaccine following a board meeting last week. The chairman of the National Māori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, called for ADHB chairman Pat Snedden, who was among those who received a jab, to step down.
Catrin Owen/Stuff
Auckland DHB board members have received the Covid-19 vaccine alongside frontline health workers. (File photo) A statement from the DHB said the members were offered vaccines to help “encourage vaccine uptake by staff”. “As our organisation looks to its senior leaders for guidance, the board members have been leading by example by getting their Covid-19 vaccinations,” the statement said. In a statement to
Stuff on Wednesday morning, Auckland DHB said all of its frontline workers have been “invited” to get their first jab. “We’ve vaccinated more than 4000 of our staff to date. We are now into the next group of people which includes those responsible for the vaccination programme, such as the board.”
Covid 19 coronavirus: Auckland DHB chairman explains why he got vaccine early
7 Apr, 2021 09:03 AM
5 minutes to read
Pat Snedden said he got the vaccine early to show leadership. Photo / File
RNZ
Auckland District Health Board s chair and other board members managed to get early Covid-19 vaccinations, even though about 50 per cent of its frontline staff are yet to get the jab.
At a meeting last week, some members of the 11-person board decided to lead from the front and get immunised to set an example, even though according to the Government vaccine schedule it appears they would not be due their shots for months.
At a meeting last week, some members of the 11-person board decided to lead from the front and get immunised to set an example, even though according to the government vaccine schedule it appears they would not be due their shots for months.
Some board members declined the early opportunity.
Board chair Pat Snedden, who took the shot, told
Checkpoint it was an aspect of leadership. Is it privileged access? Well, I suppose when you re the board of a DHB you do get privileged access. Yep, perhaps, but on the other side of it is it decent leadership? Surely it is.