Mulholland noted one of the tragic circumstances of the incident was one of the man’s four daughters was training to become a nurse and wanted to work at Buller Hospital.
“That’s gone up in smoke.”
A Health NZ spokeswoman this afternoon said their “sincere condolences” were with the man’s family and said the family would be included in the review process “as it progresses”.
They noted the death was also subject to a Health and Disability Commissioner complaint and a coronial inquiry.
Reti said he expected Health NZ to make “appropriate approaches” to the man’s family and would be encouraging staff to do so.
The Health Minister was absent from Parliament’s forecourt today as Mulholland and his father George, who hail from Buller, gave their petition calling for urgent action to address the West Coast’s health workforce issues to Labour’s health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall outside Parliament at midday today.
At 2pm, Reti said he had a scheduling conflict and could not meet with Mulholland but claimed one of his staff had caught up with Mulholland casually and expressed his position on Buller Hospital and the review.
After Mulholland told the Herald he hadn’t met with anyone from Reti’s office, it was later clarified a staff member had provided Reti with unclear information
Earlier today, Reti said he would wait for the review to conclude in about three months before considering any interventions at Buller Hospital.
He said he was assured of the facility’s ability to deal with immediate issues while the investigation took place.
“The local team are continuing to work around the health workforce and how we can continue to build up health workforce in West Coast and in Buller.”
Reti wouldn’t give a view on what led to the man’s death but did note Health NZ had said the hospital was staffed at the time.
Mulholland’s petition, signed by 3115 from across Buller communities, highlighted how the hospital – running for little more than a year – had been closed 11 times due to staffing issues.
“So when people need emergency services, they’re at sixes and sevens, they can’t turn up to the local hospital to get the care that they need.”
Also of concern to Mulholland was the paucity of resources for the area. He said there was only one helicopter that operated out of Greymouth and one ambulance in Westport that was largely occupied with transporting people out of town.
He said residents were considering leaving the region due to the unreliable nature of their healthcare services.
“I would hope that [MPs] would sit up and listen, I know that the folks of Buller and Westport are really keen to engage with the politicians to try and find solutions.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
