The country's leading body for emergency medicine will give all senior staff and trainees education in te reo Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi.
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The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine has launched the Manaaki Mana strategy, an initiative to improve its emergency care for Māori.
It has set 18 goals, including that all senior staff and trainees do regular te reo and tikanga training, and use an e-learning resource to understand the impact colonisation and racism has on Māori communities.
The strategy can be viewed here.
The college will also advocate to all emergency department staff, district health board executives and directors of emergency medicine the value of regular Treaty of Waitangi training.
College president-elect John Bonning said the strategy sought to address the health disparities between Māori and Pākehā.
"There are differences in health outcomes that are not only avoidable, but are unfair and unjust," Dr Bonning said.
"We felt that it was very straightforward and simple that the college should come up with a strategy for doctors, nurses and others that work in emergency departments to help deal with Māori patients, as well as increase the number of Māori emergency positions."
He said their underlying goal was to create a culturally-safe environment for Māori patients.
"That means understanding a Māori world view, understanding that Māori are exposed to the poor determinants of healthcare, understanding that Māori will approach their health in a different way to Pākehā, understanding the involvement of whānau and how incredibly important that is, acknowledging all the whānau in the room and using te reo, however small that use may be."
The college will consider the appointment of a strategic te ao Māori adviser, and the establishment of a new Māori name.
