"Health care professionals given free hand to decide our future health services"

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 293, 4 July 1989, Page 7

"Health care professionals given free hand to decide our future health services"

The above headline could well be justified it there is no public response to the proposals to the Waimarino Health Services reform. Two weeks ago the Bulletin ran a story headed "Rural health care faces big changes", about the Wanganui Area Health Board's plans to set up a "rural health centre" at Waimarino Hospital, and the staff' s ideas on how~ a rural health system might operate. We published the article, then braced ourselves for the flood of letters from people with comment and ideas on the proposals. Not only has there been a stoney silence at our "Mailbag" , the hospital has also rebeived virtually no feedback. So it seems the people the rural health care cenqe^is to be designed to serve couldn't care less if the health hierarchy shut the doors and provide nothing for rural people. That may be a bit harsh - perhaps people are happy to leave the responsibility for their health care completely in the hands of others, (so once the reforms start taking place we will hear no complaints at all?). Of course the lack of feedback highlights one of the major faults of New Zealand's present health system and the people it serves. That is, we all' expect someone else (ie the, health professionals) to take responsibility for our health. If you do take an interest in your own health and want to see the best possible health service

system here in the Waimarino now is the time to make your views known. (See the front page story, "Rural Health service meeting next week" for details of a public meeting on this subject).