Margie Apa CEO, Te Whatu Ora – At the Helm of New Zealand’s Largest Health Organisation
Fepulea‘i Margie Apa is at the helm of the new health organisation Te Whatu Ora, New Zealand’s biggest employer of health and disability workers, with over 80,00 staff. As the head of our national health service, she has the ability but also the grave responsibility to provide optimal health care to New Zealanders.
Despite the New Zealand Government dropping the covid vaccination mandates for healthcare workers, Te Whatu Ora decided to extend its vaccination mandate and expects all staff to be up to date with their vaccinations and that all new staff will be up to date with their vaccinations before they join Te Whatu Ora.
Recently, Health Minister Andrew Little described our health system as “facing major challenges” but stopped short of using the ‘c’ word – crisis. Given the reports of understaffing, overwhelmed hospitals and maternity services, despair, as well as burnt out GP’s we question if Te Whatu Ora’s decision to extend its vaccination policies across the country is sensible, safe and a good return on tax-payer money.
As CEO, Margie bears full responsibility for this decision and even though we suspect it is based on advice from government ‘experts’ and other executives at Te Whatu Ora, it is in her personal interest to consider other information that may not have been presented to her. Hence us penning our letter to Margie to ensure she does have other information to consider.
New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science (NZDSOS) look forward to receiving correspondence back from Margie Apa in response to our questions and concerns, and we are certain New Zealanders will also await her reply with interest, as the current state of our healthcare system warrants immediate action.
