21 Aug 2018

Time for Cook Islands to increase health spend - former minister

From , 5:03 am on 21 August 2018

A former Cook Islands health minister says it's time for the country to increase its health spending, particularly for the outer islands. 

Nandi Glassie has been conducting PhD research into the health and economic reforms of the 1990s and their effects. 

He says money spent on health as a percentage of GDP has fallen each year since 2012. 

Mr Glassie was the health minister for most of those years of decline. 

However, he tells Jamie Tahana they don't necessarily amount to cuts and the health system is still in a good shape. 

Nandi Glassie.

Nandi Glassie. Photo: Joint Secretariat