Ignored members of deaf community
Jenny Salesa raised those hopes when she said she wanted to see ‘‘more significant investment’’ in cochlear implants and promised to lobby her Cabinet colleagues.
Whether or not she has been successful is yet to be seen. Even though Budget 2020 was delivered almost a fortnight ago, it is not clear whether the programme will receive any funding increase.
In previous years, Treasury Budget documents were easier to follow. Each programme was meticulously detailed, along with the previous and future funds allocated.
Not so now. Despite promises to be the most transparent Government yet, this coalition has fallen well short of expectations.
Clinicians leading the implant programme are still in the dark. I asked Salesa’s office two direct questions about the funding.
Without even a passing reference to my straightforward queries, it took a full day for an official to parrot back information that was released in the media pack about a funding increase for disability support services.
Yes, but would this fund an increase in cochlear implant surgery? The Ministry of Health would address these questions, I was told.
The ministry has earned itself the nickname ‘‘Fortress Health’’ for its impervious and antagonistic attitudes to releasing information.
It did not fail this reputation. ‘‘The Government signalled its intention to focus on five wellbeing priority areas in Budget 2020…[it] expects to have the allocation process related to the budget finalised by the end of June,’’ is the short version of what I was told.
This is a tactic of the communications industry known as ‘playing a dead bat.’ In essence, it involves either not responding to questions or giving a minimal response in an effort to kill off a story.
It shows contempt for the journalist and open government, but we have come to expect that from successive administrations, and this Labour-led Government is no exception.
But it is also worrying because it shows that large chunks of public spending is yet to be allocated and accounted for.
And, it also means that the hundreds of deaf people who have waited so long to have their hearing restored face further delays and disappointment.
They deserve so much more than this Government’s silence.
The Ministry of Health has earned itself the nickname ‘‘Fortress Health’’ for its impervious and antagonistic attitudes to releasing information.