13 Oct 2020

End of life bill highlights how healthcare fails Pasifika

From , 6:01 am on 13 October 2020
Dunedin Pasifika advocate, Melissa Lama.

Dunedin Pasifika advocate, Melissa Lama. Photo: Supplied

A lack of fair and equitable healthcare for New Zealand's Pacific people could make voluntary euthanasia more attractive to the community.

That's the view of a community advocate in Otepoti/Dunedin who says the End of Life Choice Bill highlights how healthcare is failing Pasifika.

Melissa Lama says difficulty in accessing quality palliative healthcare could make voluntary euthanasia more attractive to a community which suffers some of the country's worst health statistics.

She spoke with Dominic Godfrey about the End of Life Choice Bill.