Health was top of mind for Dunedin protesters calling for the government to address healthcare shortages across the country.
About 70 people marched from the Dunedin Dental School to the Octagon yesterday as part of the nationwide "Hikoi for Our Health" campaign.
Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman and hikoi lead Malcolm Mulholland said he was pleased with the support Dunedin had shown.
"But I think the other issue which sadly has been shared around the country is around understaffing. There were some very startling figures that I saw before I arrived here about how short-staffed Dunedin Hospital is."
The hikoi showcased the Buller Declaration on the State of the New Zealand Health System, which, to date, had been signed by 60,000 people before its presentation to Parliament on November 18, he said.
"It’s some 150m long right now but by the time we get to Parliament, we’re expecting it to be anywhere from 250m to 280m."
The declaration was launched in September last year after plans to cut healthcare in Westport were leaked — it asserts the New Zealand health system is in a state of crisis; the government must address this crisis; and rural, Māori and low-income families are disproportionately affected by the crisis.
People could still sign the declaration on Patient Voice Aotearoa’s website, Mr Mulholland said.
A similar event was held in Invercargill yesterday morning. Events are planned in Timaru, Christchurch, Nelson and seven North Island towns and cities before the declaration is presented to Parliament on November 18.
