Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority should stick to its guns

OPINION

It is now 12 months since Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, was established.

Its job is to manage policies, services and health outcomes for Māori.

At the same time, on July
1, 2022, Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Health Authority was created.

This is a big beast with the huge task of building a simpler and more co-ordinated health system that will support all New Zealanders.

Why the need for two entities you may ask? Surely one transformational model would be enough.

I wish that was the case. But it isn’t.

You can’t effect transformational change without taking radical action.

The Labour Government realised the health care model that had developed over decades had not served Māori well.

Copious Ministry of Health and District Health Board reports and reviews, particularly in recent years, made this clear.

A fair and equitable health system operates with the best-intended outcomes for all citizens.

If you know it’s not doing its intended job, then you bite the bullet and take action.

You must attempt to make the necessary changes. Not only to improve better Māori health outcomes but to design a whole healthcare system that operates efficiently and effectively for the entire population.

As a former elected board member of a DHB for 12 years, I believe the Government made the right decision to establish two separate organisations.

There are some people who resent this decision.

They say it should be one system for all New Zealanders.

That was never the case in the past.

I believe the two are necessary until we have an equitable, fair, and affordable healthcare system that meets the needs of Māori as well as all New Zealanders.

The Government knows Māori whānau can no longer be an afterthought.

A year down the track I am being asked if anything has changed.

Are there inroads being made into some of the abysmal Māori health statistics?

I can tell you there is a comprehensive model being developed to design, develop and deliver targeted Māori health services.

It is being developed from the ground up, not top down, always a good sign.

It is being informed by the consumers and end users of the services to be provided.

This has required extensive consultation and talking with health providers and general practitioners too.

They have highlighted what must be dropped and left out of new care systems.

They know what never worked in the past and were frustrated when they still had to comply, with what the Ministry of Health demanded.

Whānau are having input into what ideal health services would look like from their perspective.

New, real-time technology is being explored.

A picture is building of an enviable radical Māori health care system. It is being developed by Māori, for Māori, with Māori.

From the outset, Te Aka Whai Ora envisioned what a well and healthy Māori whānau would look like.

It knows that health is but one component of whānau wellbeing. It is talking to iwi leaders, local Māori communities and health advocates about the wider issues that impact whānau too.

Te Aka Whai Ora also has the job of monitoring Te Whatu Ora, to ensure the services it provides for Māori – hospital and secondary health care – is of the quality and standard required to meet their needs. I suspect this will be challenging for both parties.

I hope Te Aka Whai Ora will resist the temptation to respond to the clamouring “show us the results, now” that I am starting to hear.

They must remain focused and continue to work hard to develop and embed a Māori health response that is designed for long-term success. Taking shortcuts to appease those who want to see instant results will put the radical Māori health reform in jeopardy.

For the past 10 years, I have chaired the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency.

When you introduce changes, a new approach to health service provision, there will invariably be questions asked and opposition.

It is the quick fix that is required, that people want to see. As if decades of underfunding and low prioritising of Māori health can be turned around overnight.

Let alone the elimination of systemic racism that is embedded in the health system, starting at the top.

I commend the board of Te Aka Whai Ora for sticking to the kaupapa. They know what’s at stake for Māori whānau. Failure is not an option.

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait has worked in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Today she writes, broadcasts and is a regular social issues commentator on TV. Of Te Arawa, Merepeka believes fearless advocacy for equity and equality has the potential to change lives.