Canterbury Earthquake Symposium Focuses on Disabled Community – International Guest Speaker Invites NZ to Share Learnings with World
International guest speaker Valerie Scherrer of CBM will be visiting from Brussels to speak at a Christchurch symposium addressing disability inclusion in emergency preparedness and response.
Super 15 player and FebFast Ambassador Scott Waldrom handed over giant cheque to CareNZ on behalf of FebFast in Hamilton today.
It wasn’t as if expectations were sky high, exactly. Chances are, it was always more likely that we’d be seeing Bigfoot rampage through the Beehive lock-up than catch a glimpse of a credible growth agenda from this government.
There appear to be no big gains but no big losses for rural health in the Government’s Budget announced today, says New Zealand Rural General Practice Network chairman Dr Jo Scott-Jones.
Today’s budget is a step in the right direction for Maori and Pasifika children, Ririki’s Executive Director Anton Blank said today.
The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) supports initiatives announced in today’s Budget to enhance the quality delivery of health services and to strengthen preventive health to improve health outcomes
“We are pleased to see the Government has managed to increase healthcare funding for New Zealanders. However, how our nation will fund healthcare in the future is one of the most pressing economic problems we face.”
“The small increases for health in today’s budget won’t compensate for increasing cost pressures and government expectations of DHBs,” said Angela Belich Assistant Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.
Budget 2012 includes an $18.3 million investment over the next four years in mental health services for children and young people, Youth Affairs Minister Paula Bennett says.
“We support the Government’s commitment to improving access to innovative medicines and protecting and growing public health services, in a tight economic climate. Thousands of New Zealand patients have benefited from increased Government investment in pharmaceuticals over the past three years,” Medicines New Zealand Chair Heather Roy says.
The budget announcement of $40 million for dementia is arrived at by adding together, over a four year period, yearly increases along with the additional funding required to cover demand growth.
A new $6 million Pacific Innovation Fund will help improve the health of Pasifika people, Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says.
Tobacco excise taxes will increase by 10 per cent a year on 1 January in each of the next four years as part of a wider government programme to prevent young people from taking up smoking and encourage existing smokers to quit, Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says.
Evidence shows that price increases in tobacco products affect smoking rates, so the Cancer Society is delighted with the budget announcement today, that prices will rise by 10% each year for the next four years.
The government has announced a 40 per cent increase in the excise tax on tobacco.
ASH communications manager Michael Colhoun says that previous tobacco tax increases have been highly successful in reducing smoking rates by spurring quit attempts.
Budget 2012 is delivering a further $68 million of operating funding over the next four years to maintain the record levels of elective surgery achieved under the National-led Government, and to further reduce waiting times for patients.
Budget 2012 is delivering an additional $33 million in operating funding over the next four years for better and faster services for cancer patients, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.
Health receives the largest increase in government spending in the Budget, with $435 million available to help fund cost pressures and new initiatives in 2012/13, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.
Builds a platform for growth, while returning to surplus in 2014/15
‘The plan for education outlined in today’s Budget comes directly from Treasury advice,’ said Paul Drummond, President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation, ‘and will not improve the educational experience for Kiwi kids in school,’ he said.
