Government decisions on funding new hospital
The increased funding and other reinstatement measures for the building of the new Dunedin hospital now announced by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall appear as only inadequate bandages on a self-inflicted serious wound caused by deep cuts.
It is pleasing that the Dunedin City Council has responded to the announcement by pledging to continue the campaign on behalf of the citizens of Dunedin and undoubtedly with the ‘Voice of the South’ Otago Daily Times to have the project completed to the specifications detailed in the Cabinet-approved business case.
In his letter (ODT, 14.4.23) city Councillor Jim O’Malley suggests that Grant Robertson as Minister of Finance and Ayesha Verrall as recently appointed Minister of Health, who both have connections to Dunedin,will be responsible for government decisions on the funding of the new hospital and that Dunedin voters may express their anger through the ballot box at the cuts that have been made.
It may be better however if Robertson and Verrall reflect now on the performance of their government during the last almost six years, which has been described as the least effective, the most divisive and consequently the worst government New Zealand has experienced.
How much better if they were able to look back in 10 years’ time on their careers as government ministers having gained the approval of Dunedin citizens and the population of the South for building a new hospital that was efficiently operational, fully staffed and providing for the needs of the population for the next 30 years?
In the event that Robertson and Verrall were denied, through the ballot box, the opportunity to undertake the Dunedin hospital project, Michael Woodhouse, the opposition list MP, will need to convince his parliamentary colleagues and his party leader that the new Dunedin hospital must be built forthwith to the design and specifications determined by clinicians and construction experts contained in the current government approved business case.
Trevor Croot
Kenmure
Recently I found it necessary to have a brief spell in Dunedin Hospital.
The experience highlighted for me two significant and contrasting issues of great importance to the community.
1. The first was the quality of the various teams that make up the staff of the hospital. From the receptionists, nurses, theatre staff, trained specialists and professional personnel, to the 24 hours ward patient monitoring volunteer teams, the list is endless.
These dedicated people are a wonderful group caring for and assisting in the wellbeing of patients.
They are a tremendous asset to the community, cheerful with encouraging comments and a smile. They honour a promise to serve in the hospital system and devote themselves in a practical, professional and dignified manner for the ongoing benefit of the community.
I extend a sincere and grateful thank you to each one who took care of me.
2. The second issue is equally important but for a different reason and has far greater long-term implications for society. I speak of the state of the hospital buildings, long past their use-by date, shabby, narrow corridors and old fittings.
The staff and teams deserve better working conditions.
It is time for the government to recognise this situation.
Time for them to acknowledge the priceless value of health with an upgrade, a brand-new state-of-the-art, fully equipped new Dunedin hospital.
I firmly believe the government must step up and honour a promisethey made to the communities of Otago and Southland back in 2021 to build that hospital.
No ifs.
No buts.
No cutbacks!
Herb Ritchie
Mosgiel
Flame of division with co-governance hypocritic
It is long demonstrated that the Otago Daily Times cartoonist Shaun Yeo has a political leaning to the left, however the cartoon (ODT, 15.4.23) showing Christopher Luxon and David Seymour ‘fanning the flame of division with co-governance rhetoric’ is flush with hypocrisy.
The current government is one of the most divisive in New Zealand history.
A more apt cartoon would be Chris Hipkins surrounded by his Maori caucus fanning the flame of division with a document showing their many policies and related expenditure which give one ethnicity privilege over all others.
This is a government which has stated ‘we are one’ yet separate the population into two distinct groupings, Maori and everyone else (including Maori).
Come on Yeo, how about a cartoon depicting the current government ‘extinguishing the flame of division’ by treating all New Zealanders as equals such that we can all live in harmony and those requiring support get it regardless of ethnicity.
B. Bishop
Dunedin
The impending redundancies at Otago Uni
When I read about the impending redundancies at Otago University (ODT, 21.4.23) I imagined the meeting where the senior management of the university were told of the financial situation and their shocked emotions as they contemplated the effect on the livelihoods of hundreds of their staff and the lost educational opportunities of thousands of future students.
Then I remembered an announcement by the university in the ODT a few weeks ago and I imagined a senior staffer must have risen to his feet and cried: "Stop. I have the solution. We must stand up. We must be resilient. We must lead and inspire. We must spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and change our logo so that at least we look trendy, as we sink". . . and so they did and they felt much better.
Brendan Murphy
Fairfield
Expressing frustration
"Highly critical, toxic and assertive times" (ODT editorial, 21.4.23). Ms Jacobs, departing CEO Central Otago and councillors report an increasing toxic and hyper-critical milieu.
Their staff work for the betterment of their community as public servants. Except for some years now local and central government staff are less public servants and more government servants.
At every opportunity when fronting up to the public or consulting with the public, obfuscation and repeated positive spun soundbites is the norm.
Public consultation is a going-through-the-motions bureaucratic fait accompli.
You only have to listen to recent media interviews with top public servants Andrew Coster and Naomi Ferguson to experience this.
So it’s no wonder after years of this the public are finding other less civilised ways of expressing their frustration.
Bernard Jennings
Island Bay
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
