Our commitment to equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori

The NZSA’s commitment to equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori is longstanding and is reflected in our Strategic Plan, our advocacy and the work we do to support members and patients.
At our recent Executive Committee meeting, we reviewed the Society’s current work in this area following the Minister of Health’s response regarding the Medical Council of New Zealand’s draft consultation on cultural competence, cultural safety and Māori health (more on stuff.co.nz). The discussion provided an opportunity to reaffirm the principles that guide our work.

As a professional organisation rooted in Aotearoa New Zealand, we recognise our responsibility to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi and honour the identity, culture, values and people of this whenua.
Last year, the NZSA adopted our reo Māori name, Ngā Ringa Tauwhiro o Aotearoa. We recognised that embracing a reo Māori name reflects an important part of our national identity, and that this commitment must be demonstrated through meaningful action.

Our Strategic Plan is guided by Te Tiriti with an aspiration to improve the health and wellbeing of people across Aotearoa through education, professional development, advocacy and policy, with equity at the centre of our work.

Our work includes:

• Applying an equity lens to all advocacy and policy submissions.
• Advocating through our Manifesto and Ministerial Briefings for initiatives that:
  • embed cultural safety as a core requirement of the health system; and
  • increase Māori participation in anaesthesia training to help build a workforce that reflects the communities it serves.
• Providing continuing professional development opportunities, including:
  • te reo Māori learning resources;
  • webinars and resources on using te reo Māori in clinical settings;
  • advocating for Māori speakers at NZSA events; and
  • regular articles in Te Puna Kairehu highlighting Māori health perspectives.
  • funding a Māori undergraduate scholarship to attend Te Aka Tauwhiro, the NZSA Trainee Meeting.
• Improving access to patient information by:
  • translating patient education resources into te reo Māori and;
  • translating pain discharge information into te reo Māori.
• Additionally, we apply a similar focus to our Pasifika communities and support the work of NZSA’s Global Health Committee by:
  • coordinating volunteer anaesthetists from Aotearoa and Australia to provide clinical cover during the annual Pacific Society of Anaesthetists’ Meeting;
  • providing scholarships for Pacific anaesthetists to attend conferences in Aotearoa and Australia; and
  • supporting postgraduate anaesthesia training for Pacific-based doctors.

This work is ongoing. Building a more equitable health system requires sustained effort, continuous learning and partnership. The NZSA remains committed to supporting a healthcare system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, reflects the diversity of Aotearoa and contributes to better health outcomes for all.

We thank Dr Rochelle Love and Mr Simon Watt for their service to the Medical Council of New Zealand. We also welcome Dr Ken Clark as the Council’s new Chair and look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Medical Council of New Zealand Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa and all political parties to support high-quality, equitable healthcare.

Mā te whakātu, ka mohio, mā te mohio ka marama, mā te marama ka matau, mā te matau ka ora. – Pa Henare Tate.
With discussion comes knowledge, with knowledge comes light and understanding, with light and understanding comes wisdom, with wisdom comes wellness.

Image credit: Wirestock & Callmetak