As part of the recent budget crackdowns, the government has gutted funding for certain wards at Wellington hospital—namely ones responsible for women’s care. To make room for an overwhelmed emergency department, Christopher Luxon’s government has taken away a number of maternity beds and cancer services. A statement from the Labour party has relayed from Health New Zealand that around 130 women with cancer will have to be transported to Christchurch to receive treatment due to a lack of specialists in Wellington as a result. Ayesha Verrall, Labour’s spokesperson for health said of the ordeal “everyone should be able to get care when they need it—close to home, without the cost of the wait.”
