Ryall needs to get real on poverty

The Minister of Health needs to target poverty with as much enthusiasm as he approaches his easy targets, says Labour's Health Spokesperson, Maryan Street.

"Stories emerging of people suffering from preventable illnesses after trying to save money by turning off their heaters must surely cause the Minister to rethink his priorities," said Maryan Street.

"The Auckland solo father who uses a prepay electricity meter but cannot afford to turn the heater on to keep his children warm, is a real life example of what numerous reports on children and poverty have been telling us recently.

"The appalling gap between the health outcomes of the rich and the health outcomes of the poor is not tolerable in New Zealand.

"Having rheumatic fever in our country is shameful.  An aggressive immunisation scheme is a good thing and an initiative which I applaud, but the Minister of Health needs to sit down with the Ministers of Housing, Social Development, Employment, Energy and Finance and address the causes of poverty.

"Cutting benefits and threatening to cut them further if beneficiaries don't apply for non-existent jobs simply creates more poverty.  Electricity companies that charge more for prepay meters than for ordinary supply need to be called to account.

“Tony Ryall needs to get real and address the hard stuff.  Poverty and inequality are major health issues, and the Government needs to start treating them as such. 

“The Minister must wake up and revisit his priorities.  It is relatively easy to get the numbers of elective surgical procedures up if that is what you resource.  A short-sighted concentration on monthly targets ignores the needs of people like Mr Tangiwai whose children have been perpetually cold this winter, with numerous colds and rheumatic fever being the result.

"The Minister needs to get out more and see what is really happening in people's families, not just what is happening in hospitals," said Maryan Street.