Hikoi for Health Coalition

The Hikoi for Health Coalition would like to thank everyone who turned up to the protest on Saturday, and all those that couldn’t make it but sent messages of support. It was a powerful demonstration of the deep concern in our community and our collective determination to not allow health services in the Eastern Bay and East Coast to be run down.

Together we sent a powerful message to Te Whatu Ora and to the Minister of Health. We know they were listening because Te Whatu Ora made a media statement immediately after the hikoi in response. National media coverage has ensured every person in the Government, in Parliament and in the Ministry has heard our voice. Public estimates of the numbers at the march range from 700 – 1000 people – a huge turnout for this area and one that cannot be ignored.

The coalition will continue to work with a range of organisations and individuals to keep the pressure on. We have opened a Facebook page so people can follow us and stay informed.

We support our doctors, our nurses, our midwives, the Iwi Māori Partnership Board and all other people working towards both the urgent reinstatement of obstetrics and gynaecology services at Whakatāne Hospital and measures to fix the deeply dysfunctional management systems at the hospital.

The downgrade of obstetrics and gynaecology is just the tip of the iceberg, with chronic staff shortages, inadequate support for those staff who remain, and low morale right across the organisation.

Several immediately achievable actions were supported by participants at the hikoi. They include:

1. Immediately appoint a general manager to the hospital (this has already been agreed by Te Whatu Ora)

2. Immediately allow heads of departments to appoint staff themselves to existing vacancies, (instead of having to get approval from Tauranga and / or the Waikato, which can take months).

3, Support our amazing health staff by fixing the dysfunctional management environment.

4, Introduce a succession plan for staff recruitment at Whakatane Hospital.

5. Immediately introduce locums to reopen the obstetrics and gynaecology department until permanent replacements are made.

6. Adequately fund the public health service.

These demands will be sent to our local MP Dana Kirkpatrick, the Minister of Health, to the Health Spokespeople for all of the Parliamentary Parties, and to the heads of Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who made the day possible—from the marshals to the St. John ambulance staff, to Sons of Serif for designing and printing our posters, and to the staff of Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi – Whakatāne Libraries for hosting our "Paint a Placard" workshop.

And everyone who donated time, resources, and transportation to make the day run smoothly and safely, the shopkeepers who allowed us to promote the hikoi in their shop windows – your support made all the difference. We have an incredible community, and together, we are unstoppable.