Silencing Drs is necessary to gloss over massive cuts in health
Doctors fear Govt instruction means they can’t talk freely about public health issues
Public health doctors are worried the government is trying to suppress their expertise – raising alarm about what they’re describing as “overreach”.
Medical officers of health have legal obligations to analyse how issues, such as alcohol policy, will impact health in their regions. These officers are trained doctors who have specialised in public health.
On Tuesday, doctors spoke on condition of anonymity to raise their concerns after a meeting earlier that day with the National Public Health Service director, Dr Nick Chamberlain.
He told those doctors that any advice they wanted to offer about issues in their regions needed sign off at a “national level”.
Doctors said his comments, as well as other comments from Health Minister Simeon Brown, and cuts to public health teams, were having a “chilling effect”.
Brown said he wanted medical officers of health to stop writing about issues such as fast food and “leading advocacy campaigns” on public health issues. Instead, he said their focus should be on “technical advice” and immunisation campaigns.
Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said the minister was attempting to “censor” public health experts.
There are two reasons why National are trying to gag Drs.
The first is their donors interests, their donors don’t want new regulations on their unhealthy products gaining traction so the Government want to gag health professionals on these issues.
The second reason is that the manufactured budget crisis in Health was created to generate the privatization agenda which Simeon Brown has already launched and the shock of the extreme nature of those cuts need to be censored.
Anytime a Government is trying to censor Drs and medical health experts from warning you about bad health policy is a time for you to take urgent notice.
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My expectation Simeon is that you do your job and leave the doctors and health proffessionals to do theirs.Just because the junk food industry gave you a few grand at election time it does not mean you should prevent health officials from informing the public about eating healthy food and drink .Your government has already killed how many by changing the smoking laws to allow more smoking for years to come so Willis can reap more tax to pass on to the rich.
Your job Minister is to ensure NZ has the best informed health out comes for every member of the population ,not to line the pockets of the 10% .In your last portfolio you set about directing more people to A AND E by increasing road speeds there by increasing the number of people being maimed .
Originally the health depth were involved in the court case against the rainbow crossing in Wellington. What did that have to do with health.
Dr Gary Payinda speaking on BHN ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKTrdPSgeAg) about Simien Brown and Seymour attempting to muzzle public health doctors is essential lbut infuriating viewing. Are we helpless?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/544297/cancer-patient-who-lost-lung-in-botched-surgery-says-health-system-owes-him-a-new-one
Here is one story that is being glossed over. There is a lot of detail but it does not state what hospital, private or public, and whether proper procedures were followed, who was the surgeon imported or home-educated (NZAO).
When doctors waste their time and taxpayer money writing submissions against McDonalds in Wānaka, they are probably asking for scrutiny. Concentrating on the odd infectious disease would be a plus if they could do that.
This Government hasn’t got a clue ,they’re not health professionals, the only thing that might wake them up is one of them to have a major health issue,to see sense.