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Health Minister Andrew Little announces the Government plan to abolish the 20 DHBs.
The sweeping changes to the health system should create a more equitable and efficient national service, especially for Māori and disadvantaged people, Wellington region doctors and health experts say. Many cautiously welcomed the Government’s surprise announcement yesterday that it would be scrapping the country s 20 district health boards, including Wellington’s Capital & Coast District Health Board and Hutt Valley District Health Board. But details were scant, making it difficult to gauge the impact on patients and health care providers.
ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF
Royal New Zealand College of GPs president Samantha Murton.
Pharmac review: Northland cancer sufferer pleads for more publicly-funded meds
15 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM
4 minutes to read
A civilised country like New Zealand needs to publicly fund more life-saving drugs, says Northland cancer sufferer Donna MacMillan.
Photo / Supplied
Imran Ali is a reporter for the Northern Advocateimran.ali@nzme.co.nznorthernadvocat
An independent review of Pharmac should recommend that New Zealand catch up with other countries in terms of accessing vital life-saving drugs that are not publicly funded, a Northland cancer sufferer says. Donna MacMillan of Kaitaia was forced to sell her beloved 1972 Valiant Charger to fund her $66,000 cancer drug Ibrance before the Government announced the drug would be publicly funded from April last year.
Jonny Wilkinson: Inclusion of disabled in Covid 19 vaccine priority plan a relief
12 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM
4 minutes to read
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered to a disabled patient in Italy. Soon disabled Kiwis who are one of the at risk groups identified in the vaccine strategy will get their turn. Photo / Getty Images
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered to a disabled patient in Italy. Soon disabled Kiwis who are one of the at risk groups identified in the vaccine strategy will get their turn. Photo / Getty Images
A DIFFERENT LIGHT
OPINION:
The silverish bullet has arrived in the form of the Pfizer vaccine and our frontline border workers have started to be vaccinated.