Sociology - New Zealand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology - New Zealand - Essay Example Keall, 2000, p. 1). healthy social environment in a country fast changing towards ever new challenges and newly evolving societal ethos. The above mentioned projection of Australian health care system appears quite similar to health care in New Zealand as well. This approach to the emerging multi-cultural society in New Zealand is evident in the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840. Especially Article 2 of this Treaty extends really democratic values so necessary for a healthy society: Article 3 constitutes a guarantee of legal equality between Mori and other citizens of New Zealand. This means that all New Zealand citizens are equal before the law. Furthermore, the common law system is selected by the Treaty as the basis for that equality, although human rights accepted under international law are also incorporated. Article 3 has an important social significance in the implicit assurance that social rights would be enjoyed equally by Mori with all New Zealand citizens of whatever origin. Special measures to attain that equal enjoyment of social benefits are allowed by international law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi). This shows New Zealand's nearly 170 years of history of concerns with sociological and other matters for the benefit of society and its people. Health care and its public and private funding in New Zealand are of complex nature. Policies are formulated but they are weak on the financial and implementation front. Several health providers are there. New Zealand Care is however the most opted for and sought after health provider. Entire funding is not properly diversified into required areas of health care. Senior citizens, gambling addicts, Youth and Mori community suffer the most on this account of improper funding from public sources and somewhat selective vision of various governments and private actors. Facilities are there. They do not have that reach, range and depth that is actually necessary. Many focussed programmes are also there although the entire social health system depends largely on General Practitioners. Despite newly emerging challenges, New Zealand's health care system is regarded as one of the best within the OECD group of countries. Citizens of New Zealand have access to a wide range of free and government-subsidised healthcare options, including hospital and doctor services, free public hospital treatment and free 24-hour accident and emergency clinics (http://www.globalvisas.com/new_zealand/healthcare_2.html ). Despite several improvements and reforms, the New Zealand Health System is in crisis leading to social insecurities (http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/newsletter/mar04/09.php). GPs fleeing to Australia, waiting lists for operations, outrageous pain-ranking due to prolonged waiting for operations, appalling working conditions, factual problem of asset testing, increasing red tapism of increasing bureaucracy and quite often happening delays in settling the health claims etc. All this is disturbing the social security networking and its efficiency. It is also widening peoples' pain and