About 50 people marched through Dunedin as part of the Hīkoi for Our Health. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Dunedin protesters say the government needs to urgently address a health system in crisis.
The Hīkoi for Our Health is touring the motu to collect signatures, before presenting a petition in Wellington later this month.
Roughly 50 people marched through Dunedin's streets to the Octagon today, carrying placards and accompanied by a bagpiper.
Protesters say the health system is in crisis and called on the government to urgently act. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Dr Malcolm Mulholland said he wanted to spark a national debate about what people wanted for public health system, and how they wanted to get there.
Understaffing was a key concern across the health system, including at the Dunedin Hospital where the radiology department was desperately short, he said.
"There are big waiting lists when it comes to cardiology. Urology is another department that is massively short. Mental health has not had an increase in senior medical officers for many years and sadly paediatrics and NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) are about to become so short staffed that paediatrics are making a plan to only see acutes," he said.
He encouraged people to sign the Buller Declaration, calling on the government to urgently act to address the health system crisis.
It was already at least 150 metres long and Mulholland said there were more sheets to pick up.
Accompanied by a bagpipe, the protesters say understaffing is putting patients at risk. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Dunedin mayor Sophie Barker said the hospital was her number one priority when she was campaigning, and she was determined to continue to fight for the city's health services.
"I think that we need to make sure that we have enough staff and that we're recruiting enough people for those roles," she said.
"I think we've all had relatives who have gone through the health system and been mucked around by it so we absolutely need to fight to get those numbers of staff up there and make sure that they are well-compensated as well too."
The city needed access to proper health care and it was vital its services were not under threat, Barker said.
The declaration will be presented at Parliament on 18 November.
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