Co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, Rawiri Waititi says a stomach-staple could've saved his life and he wants increased Māori access to the procedure. Photo / Mark Mitchell / NZME
Rawiri Waititi has opened up about his life-changing decision to undergo a stomach bypass procedure to reduce the risk of a hereditary heart condition.
The Māori Party co-leader says the $24,000 cost was covered by his health insurance but he's calling on the government to ensure that access to what he says are life-saving procedures, should not be limited by financial means.
"I believe it’s done that for myself. It’s added years on to my life" Waititi told Waatea.
"The government needs to look at it for those, especially Māori who may have [higher susceptibility] for these illnesses". he said.
About one in three adults in Aotearoa are considered obese, with higher rates present in Māori and Pasifika communities.
Te Whatu Ora has conceded Māori rates are largely attributable to colonisation and urbanisation.
Shorter lives because of cost
Waititi says lower wages and lack of private healthcare availability for whānau Māori create an inequity that kills.
"We shouldn’t be living shorter lives because we can’t afford a bypass," he said.
Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, have been approached for comment.
Waititi is far from the first politician to sell the virtues of bariatric surgery.
In 2018 former National Party deputy leader and deputy PM Paula Bennett revealed she had undergone gastric bypass surgery.
"I hope it sends a positive message out there to other people with weight or health problems that this may be a solution for them," Bennett told NZME's Ricardo Simich.
In 2010 then Education Minister Anne Tolley and Māori Party MP Rahui Katene both confirmed they had undergone the operation, which shrinks the stomach and dulls the appetite.
