Rural health members, or bust

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 304, 12 September 1989, Page 3

Rural health members, or bust

This area must be represented on the new area health boards, whether by election or by appointment. That is the view of the Ruapehu District Transition Committee, the Taumarunui Hospital Board and Wanganui Area Health Board representative Dorrothy Scarrow. Names of people legislation allowed for suitable to be five people to be

appointed to the new area health boards should be forwarded to the Minister of Health Helen Clark by the end of the month. That was agreed by Ruapehu District Transition Committee last Friday. The decision came after the committee was addressed by Taumarunui Hospital Board chairman David Kydd and Wanganui Area Health Board representative Dorrothy Scarrow. Both are concerned that because the new district is sparsely populated the rural people in the district will be poorly represented on the two new boards that will cover the Ruapehu District. They feel thcre is little chance rural candidates will win over city candidates, purely by weight of numbers. Mr Kydd presentcd a letter from the health minister calling for names of suitable people to be appointed to the boards. She said in her letter that the

appointed within 58 days of the election. Mr Kydd asked the committee to discuss the matter and, if in agreement, to endorse the boards' recommendations. "I ^eel the Ruapehu District Council

Transition Committee should be making representation to the minister and to put forward names of suitable people," said Mr Kydd. He said the committee should insist that the area is represented on the new

boards. The committee agreed, saying the main argument should be the geographical isolation of the area. Mayor Workman said the area's isolation, being 100 km away from city based representation, Waiouru being the country's largest defence base, Ohakune being a still-growing tourist area and Raetihi being a rural service

town were all good arguments for proper representation on the board. The group agreed that a limited number of names should be put forward. Mayor Tcrry Podmore said it would be better for the two present boards to research possible names and then for the committee to consider endorsing them rather than have

the committee act independently. Taumarunui Borough manager Mr Childs said the basis for having representation was the first priority and second was the selection of "quality" nominees. "We've got to talk about someone who will ably represent the area as well as the region," said Mr Childs.