Dear Editor, Secretary of Health, Bob Williams, is rolling the dice with our lives. He has failed us on so many fronts.

The Secretary’s number one job is to guard the health and wellness of the Cook Islands people. He is doing the opposite; he’s putting us in grave danger.

He knows the border shouldn’t be opened until our 5-11-year-olds have been vaccinated with parental approval.

He was warned by Covid-19 modeler Professor Michael Plank, who played a major part in compiling the statistics that forecasted a grim border opening.

Williams has ignored Plank’s warning that, (vaccinating children would make a big difference in reducing the number of infections). That statement by Plank should have stopped the Secretary in his tracks, and he should have postponed the border opening, given that he knows vaccinations are right around the corner for the 5-11 group.

The Secretary is not living up to his moral obligation to save lives. Instead he’s putting forth a false narrative that, (if the borders continued to be closed, there would be no money for public servants and public services, so the border needed to be open).

Therein, that chilling and telling statement, lies our biggest problem.

At over 40 per cent, the Cook Islands has the greatest percentage of public servants in the free world. Only a handful of nations have a bigger percentage, like Cuba at 77 per cent and Belarus at 50 per cent, both are authoritarian governments.

From the nations inception, up to today, our monolithic public service sector is undisguised corruption. Its staggering numbers are obscene, it’s nothing more than vote buying. It’s our nation’s original sin, it’s also today’s version of worshipping the golden calf.

Furthermore, we are suffering from a nurse’s shortage. It’s gotten so bad, nurses are coming out of retirement and working part time to try and fill the void. Fijian health personnel are leaving because government has reneged on their contractual agreement with them.

Everyone knows our health system can’t handle a Covid-19 crisis. Right now, we have a large-scale health crisis of our own. We are the highest consumers of alcohol per capita and have the highest obesity rate per capita in the world. Non-Communicable Diseases are out of control. Drunken and mentally disturbed men are beating their spouses at prolific rates. 
Dr. Fariu is leading the charge to improve men’s health. So far 3000 men have come forward seeking help and answers. The test results they have undergone are not good, the majority are heading towards an early death. This health news deeply saddens all of us. 
To be fair, secretary Williams didn’t create these problems, he inherited them. But he is only carrying on the do nothing strategy of past health secretaries, that got us to this point. This has to change, we need help, we need a new plan.
I and many others along with those in the health field want to introduce medical marijuana to help alleviate some of these health problems. Seriously, what the hell have we got to lose?
But we are being ignored by the secretary. He’s demonstrated that he’s a rigidly, unimaginative bureaucrat working at a fixed routine that only provides cover to avoid responsibility. He won’t speak truth to power. 
Try and spin it any way you want Mr. Williams, it won’t come out in the wash, the people aren’t buying it.

Steve Boggs

Secretary of Health Bob Williams’ reply: 

It’s really good to know that Mr Boggs is alive and living in one of the safest countries one could wish to be in during this pandemic.

The Cook Islands has been Covid-19 free for almost two years until the recent case which is now believed to be an historical one. The fact that Mr Boggs suggests that TMO have not at all considered the health and wellness of the Cook Islands people as a priority during this time, is, quite frankly, staggering.

The Cook Islands has achieved a record high vaccination uptake of 99 per cent 1st dose and almost 97 per cent double vaccinated. The third dose (booster) arrives in country next Thursday (16 Dec.) and will start being administered to all eligible residents from Friday, 17 December.

Vaccinating our 5-11-years olds will take place early next year. This will provide an added layer of protection to the total population.

Mr Boggs would have better understood the modelling had he attended one of the public consultation meetings TMO hosted in relation to the current vaccination status, new border settings and the public health measures for the border opening.

Mr Boggs’ assumptions from hearsay comments about what I might have said regarding the opening of the border and using public servants as an example have been taken out of context.

In respect to Mr Boggs’ claims re the Public Service, I will say this. Every country requires a level of civil service. This country has 15 islands, with an EEZ that covers over 1.96 million square kilometres – more than three times the size of France. There are people living in those islands, they are Cook Islanders and they are entitled to a similar level of service to those of us who live on Rarotonga. If Mr Boggs were to reduce the size of the civil service, where would he like that to happen? Reduce the number of our health workers, our border control workers, the people who service the ships who bring our goods in and out, or the people charged with fixing our roads maybe?

Mr Boggs observation re our nurse shortage is accurate, it’s been a long-standing issue. The current context of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to find in-country solutions for a sustainable health workforce. For over a year, TMO has been in limbo, unable to recruit expatriate nurses.

In 2010 TMO could not fill 13 per cent of our nursing positions, due to the combination of resignations, retirements, and low salaries. The 2012-13 workforce plan noted that ‘Ministry of Health faced a growing nursing shortage in both the short and long terms’. For some time, most new nurses have been recruited from neighbouring countries like Fiji, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Foreign nurses on contract within the Ministry make up 30 per cent of the nursing workforce.

An aging nursing workforce, a loss of some nurses overseas, a growing reliance on nurses from other countries, difficulty in recruiting nurses appropriately qualified are some of the issues TMO faced over a decade ago. These issues are still relevant in 2021. Last Friday our Minister of Health announced the reinstating of the Cook Islands School of Nursing. A major reason for reinstating the School of Nursing, as well as the above, is to train nurses who understand Cook Islands culture and who preferably speak reo Kuki Airani rather than importing expatriate nurses. This is especially important for staffing in the Pa Enua.

There is a crucial need to again begin training our own nurses to a level that will provide a skilled, professional, and capable nursing workforce for TMO. The failure to train new nurses as soon as possible will run the risk of more expense, less expertise, and an aging workforce. This impacts not only on work capacity but also reputation.

Recruitment for this course which will be delivered through a partnership between Te Marae Ora, the University of the South Pacific, Rarotonga, and Whitireia Community Polytechnic, Wellington Institute of Technology Ltd, and the Ministry of Education Cook Islands is to start immediately, with the first course beginning in January 2022.

Covid-19 is here to stay, we need to grow our own nurses as we can no longer rely on overseas nurses to complement our workforce.

Mr Boggs should appreciate that while we have experienced workforce challenges, our health professionals still front up every day to serve Mr Boggs and the people of this country, to keep everyone safe. Their service deserves recognition.

Men’s health is being addressed through the re-introduction of the Men’s Health Clinics, a programme developed in partnership with the Rotary Club of Rarotonga. This programme has encouraged men to get screened and supported with any health issues.

Finally, I operate my office with an open door policy, one that is open to everyone. I am surprised that Mr Boggs suggests that I have been ignoring him. Mr Boggs has not once called my office or emailed me regarding the introduction of medicinal marijuana or any other health related topic.  I understand that the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in at least 36 states in the United States. Perhaps Mr Boggs should return to his country of origin if he so keen to access it.

Bob Williams

Secretary of Health

21120502

Letter of appreciation from Uritaua

I would like to say, through your newspaper, thank you and a big meitaki maata to everyone that attended my investiture ceremony on Saturday, December 4. Notably of course the ui-Ariki, ui-Mataiapo and ui-Rangatira, ta tatou akonoanga Metua tei rave mai i ta tatou karakia, te au akonoanga tuketuke, and our Queen’s Representative and Members of Parliament who attended, and all our friends and families. I greatly appreciate your taking time out to witness this great occasion. This letter of appreciation is from myself, my wife and family, our vaa tuatua, our organising committee and the Ngati Uritaua.
PS: I also wish to apologise to all my guests for the tantrum you are hearing in the media from people who wish to be somebody they are not. Ki Mua.

Uritaua Teariki-Taoiau Mataiapo