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Health Minister and Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown has acknowledged outgoing Director-General of Health and chief executive of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, after she announced her resignation today, February 14.
“Diana has had a long, distinguished career in health as a public health physician, cancer epidemiologist, and health services researcher,” Brown says.
“An experienced and respected leader, Diana has led the Ministry of Health during a challenging time as the last government’s reforms were being implemented.
“I acknowledge Diana’s decision to step down from the role and thank her for her commitment to ensuring the health system delivers for New Zealanders.
“I wish her all the very best for the future.”
Labour Party acting health spokesperson Peeni Henare says he’s “concerned” to hear of Sarfati’s resignation.
“Dr Sarfati is a world-leading cancer research expert, improving survival rates and closing inequities in treatment.
“If the Government doesn’t reach its cancer targets without Dr Sarfati they have no one to blame but themselves.
“We acknowledge Dr Sarfati’s leadership when the Ministry of Health continued to give evidenced-based advice on tobacco control despite a hostile Government.
“Health is complex, and firing the leadership may come back to haunt the Prime Minister.
“As Simeon Brown struggles to get up to speed on the complex health portfolio, it’s as if Christopher Luxon is getting rid of everyone who disagrees with him.
“It’s an absolute disgrace, causing damage that will ripple for years to come.
“The Director-General of Health has gone, the Director of Public Health stepped down, the Health New Zealand board was sacked and the Health New Zealand Chief Executive resigned.”
Henare says the executive leadership team of Health New Zealand has been “gutted”, and the organisation’s chief financial officer was “structured out of a job”.
“Luxon is fast running out of other people to blame for his Government’s failures.
“I wish Dr Diana Sarfati all the best for her next role and thank her for her commitment, mahi and expertise she gave for the better health of New Zealand.”
The Public Service Association (PSA) says Sarfati’s resignation is a “further symptom of the Government’s chaotic mismanagement and underfunding of the health system”.
PSA acting national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says it will create more turmoil in an “overstretched health system being put under further pressure by the Government’s demands for health spending cuts”.
“The alarm bells should be ringing in the health sector. Dr Sarfati’s resignation follows those of Health New Zealand chief executive Margie Apa and Director of Public Health Nicholas Jones in the past few weeks.
“The fundamental problem in health is that the Government is starving our health system of the funding needed to run it.
“Hard working public servants delivering health care like Dr Sarfati are being asked to work miracles to somehow keep a groaning system working for New Zealanders.
“That’s why we’ve started litigation in the Employment Relations Authority aimed at stopping rushed and damaging job cuts in health to meet the Government’s savings targets.
“These cuts will endanger the lives of patients and see thousands of dedicated and essential health workers lose their jobs.”
Fitzsimons says the PSA thanks Sarfati for her work, “which was an example of the dedicated service of so many public servants”.
