A Māori birthing unit recommended for Hawke's Bay is languishing in a queue of work Te Whatu Ora has picked up after District Health Boards were folded into the entity.
A birthing unit was recommended last year as part of a damning review into how Hawke's Bay Hospital treats whānau Māori in maternity care, following a highly publicised uplift of a child in 2019.
A leading Māori midwife say the lack of progress is a sad indictment.
Lauren Crimp has more.
