Mike's Minute: There's dumb games being played in health

There are some dumb games being played at the moment in the very serious business of health.

Health NZ is in the red to the tune of $1.7b - that's for the year. They are over budget by $1.7b.

That’s why Lester Levy got to be Commissioner and all the others were let go.

Dr Bryce Edwards: NZ’s health system in crisis

As of today, New Zealand’s public health system – the biggest government agency in New Zealand’s history, which goes by the name of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora – is being run by just one reforming bureaucrat – Prof Lester Levy, after the Government sacked the recently installed board. This is because the hospitals around the country that employ nearly 90,000 staff and have a budget of about $28b and assets of $25b are apparently in financial crisis.

Professor Robert MacCulloch: NZ's Health Woes Have Nothing to do with Shifting the Deck Chairs....

NZ's Health Woes Have Nothing to do with Shifting the Deck Chairs, Bringing Back John Key's Mate, 70 yr old Lester Levy, to run things.

Surprisingly, although age has figured in the American election campaign, forcing President Biden out of the race, one seldom reads about it in the NZ press. The fact that 75 year old Sir Peter Gluckman (who was John Key's Chief Scientific Adviser) has been brought back by National to advise on how to reform our universities received little attention. This week the Nats have been at it again, reincarnating another of Key's mates to run NZ.

David Farrar: The Health NZ problems

Shane Reti announced:

In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.

Dr Guy Hatchard: Government and Media Ignore Health Issues

The government, the media, and the health service have buried their heads in the sand and promised our health problems will go away.

Friday 08 March 2024: the government announced new health targets promising greatly shortened wait times and faster treatments, but incredibly failed to address why so many people are falling sick. Health Minister Shane Reti admitted the deficiencies in the announced policies, which are neither new nor realistic, saying: