Pomegranate Health: Ngā Kaitiaki Hauora – ‘guardians of health’

Members from various colleges and institutions recently came together to share perspectives on the delivery of health care to New Zealand’s population of Māori and Pacific Islander people. This conversation comes in the context of the Wai 262 claim, which is forcing a re-examination of the Crown’s obligations to the Māori population under the Waitangi Treaty of 1840.

Following on from this meeting, the latest episode of Pomegranate Health, the RACP podcast, explores gains made in recruiting Māori and Pacific Islander students into medical school, and examines cultural competency in the doctor-patient relationship. 

In this episode you will hear from Reverend Hirini Kaa, who proposes that all institutions of civil society must be committed to recognising Indigenous sovereignty not just over land, but also the natural environment, the language, and cultural practices. GP Dr Peter Jansen and oncologist Dr George Laking describe the variation in medical care that Māori and Pacific Islander patients receive on a day to day basis, and how this can emerge in part through cultural ‘mismatches’. And public health physician Dr Elana Curtis describes the successes and future targets of streaming Māori and Pacific Islander students into medical school.

Listen to Transitions to Fellowship episode by downloading or streaming on iTunes or  Android, or listen online.  

Claim CPD credits for listening to Pomegranate through MyCPD.