Doctors who take the modern Hippocratic oath swear never to discriminate on the basis of a patient’s race.
In New Zealand, some medical professionals fear that this principle is being undermined.
A row over “race-based” waiting lists has erupted after several hospitals in Auckland used an algorithm that bumps Maori and Pacific Islanders up the waiting list for elective surgery – from hip replacements to hernia operations.
The approach has become a flashpoint in the run-up to the general election in October, which polling suggests is likely to be tight.
Details of the new system were sent out on June 1 in a newsletter to staff at the national public health agency, Te Whatu Ora, beneath a reminder to get their winter flu jab. Known