Medical disparities

  It is a widely known fact that Maori and Pacific Islanders have some of the worst health statistics in New Zealand. A couple months ago I saw an article about Maori babies missing out on midwife visits and doctor visits. Nearly a third of Maori aren't seen in their first year of life. Is it due to the parent or parents not caring properly for their child or is there something else going?

  I myself don't have any experience with early childhood care or midwife care, but in regards to health statistics I myself can understand how these sorts of things happen. I became really ill a couple weeks ago, so much so I left work in the middle of the day, called my mum to come pick me up and went straight to White Cross. I waited my turn, was seen by a doctor, swabs were taken and I paid the full amount. I work full time as well so I felt that I should pay full price for the service to compensate those who aren't fortunate to do so themselves. Anyway, so doc sent me away with copious amounts of paracetamol and ibuprofen while I wait for the lab results from the swabs. A week went by and no call, so just to be on the safe side I contacted the practise to see what was going. The lady found my results and said they were busy and someone would call me back. Two days later still no returned call, now remember I'm still unwell and having to take days off work. I contact them again and get told again someone will call me back, this time however I wait till the afternoon to call them again because I couldn't afford to wait any longer. Finally, someone passes me on to the nurse who then says "oh we found something, I'll just check if a doctor has seen this yet". After having to contact them 3 times myself, we had found I had in fact contracted streptococcus more commonly known as strep throat. Yeah, the really-contagious-really-bad-for-you-if-left-untreated infection. But why did it take so long to get some feedback? Understaffed?

  Then we hear these statistics where Maori and PI's are always on the low end for health stats. And then I wonder, is it solely based on our ethnic background as to why we have these terrible stats? To be honest, I wouldn't have contacted them if I had thought I might get better but it started to affect my work. How do we know that others don't have this same mindset. Do we have this culture where we wont follow up on something because it may be hassle for someone else so we just leave it? Or that if we aren't being contacted is it because we assume there is nothing wrong? Is it because we don't understand the process? For example, what if someone had something more serious and did not feel like they needed to follow up because they felt they were better than they were in reality. Or in my case get something looked into before it could potentially turn into something bad like rheumatic fever.. So what if mum or dad or whoever is the caregiver thought that the midwife was going to follow up with them automatically? Or that the doctors and nurses would have advised them that they needed to make sure baby has a check-up every month or whatever it is? (Proof right there that it is not common sense about the process of having a child)

  I can understand that my situation is unique so we can't really know the context of why they didn't contact me as soon as they got my results or when I first contacted them, whether it be related to my ethnicity or not. Late last year an article was posted about Medical councils funding scheme which is planned to work towards improving Maori health statistics. So maybe the council's recommendations are still being processed but awareness for the processes on how to deal with things like this need to be addressed. 

http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/health/maori-babies-missing-out-on-midwife-visits-2016041411