New Zealand's Health Minister criticizes government for hiding mental health workforce data
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New Zealand's Health Minister Matt Doocey has criticized the government for hiding key data on mental health and addiction workforce shortages. Initially, Health New Zealand provided a data table indicating a need to hire 1485 additional frontline workers, including 470精神科护士, 145精神医生, and 145临床心理学家. However, this data was later removed from the final report. Doocey expressed disappointment over this lack of transparency and called for greater public access to workforce information. In a 2018 speech, he had already criticized the government's failure to address mental health workforce shortages as one of the biggest challenges. A recorded email from Health NZ commissioners Lester Levy shows that after receiving feedback, he instructed the removal of the data. Ingrid Leary, a New Zealand Labour Party member, called for an investigation into the government's handling of this issue. The incident highlights the need for improved transparency and public communication in mental health matters, as well as broader discussions about the efficiency of government policies.