GUEST BLOG: Hone Harawira – People might die in Waikato Hospital but racism is alive and well
About 11pm last night I received a very distressed call from Denise, the wife of Karl Perkins, leader of the band, HOUSE OF SHEM. Karl is in Waikato Hospital for a life-and-death cancer operation.
Denise rang to tell me that she has been at Karl’s side for the last couple of days, but that tonight they had kicked her out of the ward and refused to let her stay with him, even threatening to trespass her from the hospital if she didn’t immediately comply with their demands. Denise had pleaded with them but they refused to listen. She was at her wits end, so she rang me.
I spoke to one of the Kaitiaki Māori who confirmed what had happened to Denise. She said she had been really hurt by what had happened to Denise and told me it was wrong, and against hospital policy.
I rang the registered nurse in charge of the ward where Karl was a patient, who tried to tell me that Denise was still on the ward (but had been told to stay out in the lounge and not at Karl’s bedside). She then told me she had no authority to let Denise stay with Karl, even though she clearly had the authority to throw her out of the ward, with security personnel standing by.
I tried to ring the duty manager a couple of times but got no answer, so the operator politely allowed me to send her an email and said she would pass it on.
I am bloody disgusted to hear that a Māori woman, a whanau member who is an integral part of the health and wellbeing of a patient at Waikato Hospital had been treated so badly. Every person who is in deep pain and suffering has the right to have somebody at their side in the hours leading up to critical surgery. And every Māori has a right under the Treaty of Waitangi, and the policies of the Ministry of Health to provide care for their whanau, particularly in times of stress.
Kicking Denise out of the ward was ignorant and deeply racist, and somebody’s head should roll for the way in which she was treated.
I emailed the Minister of Health, the local MP for Waikato-Tainui and a representative of the Maori King, to let them know what is happening.
I asked for action to be taken to allow Denise to go back to her husband’s bedside immediately, or I would take this to the media. I even left my contact details for the duty manager in case they wanted to contact me.
I was not surprised that nobody bothered to call me. The same racists that would treat one of our whanau like that, are highly unlikely to bother with another Māori wanting to complain about it.
Hone Harawira is the leader of the MANA movement
Kiwis can’t go five minutes with out picking at racist scabs and saying it was a busy period.
Now waiting for people tell me job operating ties for women goes too far, because the percentage of men completing high school has fallen since women could go to high school.
Hone your actions are to be admired and supported.
Racism, class-ism, sexism age-ism and crony-ism have become normalised to many.
Few institutions of any size are free of these and those in authority or supervisory roles can and do over step the mark and trample on rights of others.
Hospitals are facilities for healing and care. Their service to the community and individuals should never be compromised by ignoring peoples rights to dignity, fairness, consideration and equality of care.
The sick need family.
Deliberate underfunding of the health system by NACT and others has played a large part in stressing the system and those who work within it.
That is very wrong but so is treating people like shit.
dubious story
I refuse medical help in our toxic totting hospitals today and now turn to ‘natural medicine and vitamins/minerals.”
Woohoo flame war time,
Unsubstantiated claim against someone who provided all the facts which you can check.
How did an idiot like Bazza get that comment through moderation, except that we can now have a flame war.
Bazza your are as thick and you are dumb. I’ve seen better trolls fart that your expression of a very low IQ. Bazza a village is missing an idiot, you might want to get back mate.
Seriously, do we need to have a racist little prat like bazza get through moderation with b.s comment like that?
Hence my comment about starting a flame war.
There is more to this story…..
What’s “racist” about it????
Sorry but I don’t get it.
Maori can not be seen by the system to be victims of systemic racism because the cost of reparations would literally bankrupt pakeha-New Zealand, then seeing programmes that benefit victims of racism from the perspective that they aren’t victims, just getting unfair benefits.
Quite simply, Cassie: because the system is pakeha-centric, and not inclusive of Maori values.
Kind of like in the bad old days when speaking Maori in schools was frowned upon (and punished). Or Telecom operators threatened with the sack for greeting customers with a “kia Ora” rather than “Good morning/afternoon/evening/whatsit.
What a disgusting story but not surprising. There seems to be a lack of empathy in many hospitals.
Our hospitals are getting worse because of the massive population drive of people into NZ without any provision for new and extra beds in hospitals, as well as the user pays tertiary system from Rogernomics has meant hospital workers have little understanding of Maori issues, because an increasing proportion have not grown up in NZ, have no understanding of the culture here and have been bought in simply to save money and keep their mouthes shut for the DHB’s and government.
Saying that, is there any evidence, that it was racially motivated because the family member was Maori, or just plain lack of empathy or a control freak worker at the hospital?