12 March 2008

Emergency Care Situation Shameful

The current situation where 100,000 people in Northern Wellington and Kapiti are denied access to the 24-hour emergency medical services they were promised is nothing less than shameful, says New Zealand First health spokesperson Barbara Stewart.

“The promise, made when the regional hospital went to Wellington rather than Porirua, was not made by the current Minister of Health but that does not absolve him from responsibility.

“Now that it has been revealed that the new regional hospital will not cope with future demand immediate consideration must be given to further developing Kenepuru Hospital in order to provide adequate health services to northern Wellington and the Kapiti Coast.

“If Capital Coast District Health Board’s project plans for medical services have always included “refurbishing, increasing and maximising use” of Kenepuru the Government will have to bite the bullet and provide additional funding for this.

“There are now moves afoot to sell off some of the land surrounding Kenepuru. If this sale takes place the funds raised should be used specifically for the redevelopment of Kenepuru – any other use would be grossly unjust to the local population.

“Unbelievable as it sounds here we have a perfectly good hospital, easily accessible to over 100,000 people and the powers that be cannot even organise for it to provide a 24-hour accident and emergency service as promised,” said Mrs Stewart.

ENDS

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