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Northland doctor: people are dying from lack of funding

Publish Date
Thu, 7 Sep 2017, 7:05PM
(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

Northland doctor: people are dying from lack of funding

Publish Date
Thu, 7 Sep 2017, 7:05PM

A Kaitaia doctor says people are dying and suffering in the region because of a lack of health funding.

Northland DHB is refusing to release its annual report to the Government, saying it's been under-funded by 30 million dollars over three years.

Former New Zealander of the year Dr Lance O'Sullivan says he's seeing the impact of under-funding at the coal-face.

"It's causing people to die and it's causing people to suffer from prolonged illnesses and injuries, but illnesses primarily."

Lance O'Sullivan says a funding cap on Northland DHB means the money that's being put into health doesn't match population growth.

Dr O'Sullivan says the problem's going to pop up in other parts of the country if we don't address it.

"We really need to sit back and ask can we continue to fund everything we're doing the way we're doing it?"

Lance O'Sullivan says we're going to have a bankrupt health system in ten years if we don't do anything.

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