Conciliator rejects hospital complaint

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 4

Conciliator rejects hospital complaint

PA Wellington The Race Relations Conciliator, Mr Wally Hirsh, has dismissed a complaint made against the Wellington Hospital Board and a Kenepuru Hospital board member, the Rev. Don Borrie, over handling of a pregnant Samoan woman who later miscarried. The conciliator said it could not be established that the complaints against either the board or the hospital had substance in terms of Section 4(l)(b) of the Race Relations Act.

However, the board had a statutory obligation to provide culturally appropriate services to all groups. It has been recommended that discussions be held with the conciliator and resource personnel, particularly those involved with Auckland Hospital Anti-Racism Project. Mr Borrie made a complaint to the conciliator after a letter of complaint to the board by Mr Elia Manua — the brother-in-law of the woman involved, Ms Salome Uilaau — and having met him.

It was alleged that when Ms Uilaau, who was four months pregnant, sought help for abdominal pains at Kenepuru Hospital last April 2, she and her. family were: Not offered or helped to receive immediate medical attention, given inaccurate information regarding a fee for ambulance service, and were not communicated with in terms understood by a person from a minority racial group. It was further alleged that the board failed to implement its commitment to provide adequate linguistic services for minority groups, had not ensured that staff were fully trained to communicate with persons whose first language was other than English, and had failed to institute antiracialism programmes designed to counteract prejudice and actions which may exist among certain staff.