33 Comments

Dr Gary you don’t sound that busy mate… you couldn’t run the health service could ya?? /s. Thankyou for being such a good human being x 🥰

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You don't have a career, Gary, you have a vocation. I wish there were more like you prepared to say what needs to be said. And thank you.

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be careful, if they knew how much I loved my work, they might see it as an opportunity to not pay me for it. : )

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Gary, I’m sure you probably know that the New Zealand the older generation of us grew up in was quite a bit closer to your aspirations. Such a tragedy to see all of that vanish. And do tell us what that photograph of the wrecked room is about…?

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i have a total of one photo of the resuscitation room where i trained. this pic is not it (its from the web), though it made me think of my dear old LA County, which had a huge 1930s painted mural just in the entryway on the ceiling, telling the poor that this where you could come to be cared for regardless of your skin color, or your ability to pay.

That hospital was planned/built around the time of the great depression, when people needed help and governments understood their role was to help the bottom 90% of society, not cater exclusively to the top few %.

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FDR understood it. Keynes understood it. Even the Capitalist back then understood it, even cynically, healthy workers make better workers.

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Bravo and thank you, Doc.

Tui

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A State/Governments role *is* to work to further the wellbeing of all it's people. We have forgotten tat from 45 years of Thatcherism/Reaganism. Thanks for your dedication sir!!

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Thanks for this! Absolutely so important for people to understand that private medicine is a rort! Twice a family member has been operated on in the private system & had to seek emergency assistance in the public system!

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It happens more often than you might imagine.

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Thank you for sharing,.good to know there are still people out there that aren't part of the Trumpian ethos

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What an amazing summary of where you have come from & how you came to chose to call our beautiful Tai Tokerau home for the past 17 years.

Thankyou Dr Payinda we are so damn honoured & grateful to have you here fighting the good fight for our poor old hospital as well as our stressed to the max healthcare workers.

I look forward to learning more about our health system & its challenges each week from your newsletters.

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Inspiring - thank you.

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I just wonder with this terrible government what the hell is it for and who in hell are these people? If you cannot keep people safe, educate them, look after the poor , the sick and the disabled, provide shelter when its needed , tend to the sick , well where is our humanity?

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Thank you. I love that you love it up north. It's beautiful up there and the peoplee are awesome. We need more people like you here in Aotearoa NZ.

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We are so lucky to have you, thank-you.

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You certainly are the best of soul’s Gary. Now that I understand your rhythm of writings I will be subscribing again. Remember to care for yourself!

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we’re all just people. you, me, simeon. : )

the writing just comes out when it can, and when i get too busy, with other things, it slows. in december i had to move 2 kids apts, and renovate a house house. couldn’t find time.

had a crazy weekend in ED, so many very sick patients, so this is a good way of putting it into perspective and reflecting a bit.

I view some of the subscription thing as just giving people a way to support the message. If they can’t afford it, there’s free membership, and they can help out by sharing posts with friends. If people can afford it, they can show support with paid subscriptions. If they feel they’re getting something worthwhile and earnest out of it.

cheers

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We are lucky to have you here Gary. Thank you.

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NZ is priveledged to have you. Please stay.

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Thank you for writing so honestly and bravely about what you do, what is really going on at the coal face of our health system and why.

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