Government to Address Samoan RSE Workers Serious Health Issues

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 23 July: The Government will address the serious health issues faced by seasonal workers in New Zealand after a Samoan registered nurse raised it during the Prime Minister Laaulialemalitoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt meeting with the Samoan community in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand this week.

The Registered Nurse, Olive Tanielu told the meeting that some young workers, between 25 and 30 years old, are facing very serious health issues such as cancer and heart problems.

Olive Tanielu, the Samoa Registered Nurse working in Hawkes Bay raising the serious health conditions affecting some young Samoan RSE workers.

“These cases are only realised when they are in New Zealand and unfortunately, when their contracts are up, their insurance cannot cover their health treatment and they are to return home knowing they can’t be treated in Samoa,” she said.

She asked the Prime Minister how the Government can assist these workers while in New Zealand.

She feels for the workers because they are returned to Samoa after their contracts knowing the treatment is not available in Samoa.

A call for a possible agreement with NZ
The nurse raised the issue a day before Laauli was due to meet with the New Zealand Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon and she urged Laauli to raise the matter with him.

“Perhaps Samoa could request New Zealand to keep the worker in New Zealand for treatment or set up some kind of agreement to make such action possible,” she said.

Most of the Samoan workers under the seasonal workers program are required to have health clearance as one of the qualifications.

Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt addressing RSE workers and members of the Samoan community in Hawkes Bay early this week.

The Prime Minister assured the nurse that he will look into it and he believes that this leads back to the medical screening before a worker leaves Samoa to work in New Zealand.

“They need to pass the thorough screening process before a worker gets on the plane,” Laauli said.

Currently, Samoa has an annual budget of NZ$12 million for the medical scheme to treat patients overseas including New Zealand and Laauli said there should be some kind of agreement under the Friendship Treaty for such cases.

He also explained that there are current cases where Samoan workers have been disabled due to traffic accidents and negotiations are ongoing with the New Zealand Government for health services and benefits to be available for them as they had been injured while working in New Zealand.