Cantabrians prefer health funding before Jade

“Health Cuts Hurt says that if the Government and Christchurch City Council have a spare $20m for Jade Stadium to be upgraded for the 2011 World Rugby Cup, they should use it to properly fund the Canterbury District Health Board,” Chairperson of Health Cuts Hurt, Eleanor Carter said today.

She was commenting on Christchurch’s Mayor Garry Moore’s support for the $60m plan to upgrade Jade Stadium, while 5,300 Cantabrians are waiting anxiously to see if they have been cut off the waiting list for elective surgery.

“The Mayor has been silent on the cuts of a further 5,300 Cantabrians off waiting lists and the long term cuts to funding in the CDHB,” said Eleanor Carter. “In addition, many Kiwis were appalled at the Labour Government putting in $30m to the America’s Cup when many of the associated yachties feature on the rich list and there were so many other deserving uses of that money.”

“Health Cuts Hurt calls on the Christchurch Mayor and local Labour MPs to state categorically that they will fight for fair funding for the CDHB to correct the Ministry of Health’s flawed population based funding model,” said Eleanor Carter.

“Our group is not opposed to rugby. Canterbury is known as the rugby capital of the world with the Crusaders,” said Eleanor Carter. “But currently Canterbury people have to be sicker than in the rest of New Zealand to get an operation. Let’s have a crusade to return it to being the health capital of the country.”

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