MOH policy roles under COVID-19

ASE made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Ministry of Health should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: ASE

Dear Ministry of Health,

I am seeking information relating to the role of The Ministry of Health in the present response to COVID-19, and all matters under the guise of COVID-19 response and management.

Is The Ministry of Health tasked with providing evidence-based policy advice to the government, the media, and the public? How is The Ministry of Health empowered to defend an evidence-based position, and push back with an evidence-based position, under pressure from government public health policies which are not evidence-based?

To what extent, and in what capacity, and by what means does The Ministry of Health provide evidence-based public health policy advice to the government, the media, and the public? What evidence-based public health policy advice has The Ministry of Health provided to the government and media? To what extent has the government abided by, or not abided by, such evidence-based advice?

To what extent, and in what capacity, and by what means have public health dictates by government influenced The Ministry of Health in advising the media and the public, in ways that may be influenced more by dictate than evidence? What government policy-based public health advice has The Ministry of Health provided to the media and the public, when such advice is not evidence-based? To what extent has The Ministry of Health abided by, or not abided by, such policy advice when it is not evidence-based?

How does The Ministry of Health manage conflicts between evidence-based policies and government imposed policies? What policies and practices are in place to manage conflicts between evidence-based policies and government imposed policies?

What safe-guards (policies, practices) are in place to prevent a feedback loop between The Ministry of Health and government developing a relationship that rewards or otherwise reinforces government policy dictates at the expense of evidence-based policies? By what metrics are such safe-guards assessed? How is The Ministry of Health performing in this regard?

What safe-guards (policies, practices) are in place to protect The Ministry of Health from "regulatory capture" (eg via advisory committees, industries, private interests) from developing, promoting, or otherwise reinforcing policies that are not evidence-based? By what metrics are such safe-guards assessed? How is The Ministry of Health performing in this regard?

What New Zealand data is The Ministry of Health monitoring, to ensure that COVID-19 inoculations are "safe and effective", as claimed? eg, is The Ministry of Health monitoring data relating to age stratified all-cause mortality on the basis of inoculation status? Is The Ministry of Health monitoring data relating to age-stratified diagnoses and deaths relating to myocarditis, pericarditis, heart attacks, strokes, excess deaths, sudden deaths, thrombocytopenia, embolisms, thromboses, or other clotting disorders, pregnancies and miscarriages, and other diagnoses of concern relating to COVID-19 inoculations, and correlating such data to inoculation status? If this type of data is being monitored, I would very much like to see it. If this type of data is not being monitored, then why is this type of data is not being monitored? How can The Ministry of Health confidently ensure the effectiveness of public health policies in New Zealand if The Ministry of Health is not continuously monitoring the most relevant and current data? If this type of data is not being monitored, what basis is there for asserting that COVID-19 inoculations are safe and effective in New Zealand?

Is it the role of The Ministry of Health to be actively monitoring this type of data, to ensure that inoculations in New Zealand are of net public health benefit? If that is not part of The Ministry of Health's role, whose role is it?

Thank you,
ASE 2021112701

Link to this

From: OIA Requests

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request. This is
an automatic reply to let you know we received it.

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. We
will endeavour to acknowledge your request as soon as possible. Further
information about COVID-19 can be found on our
website: [1]https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise...

 

In accordance with the Act, we'll let you know our decision within no more
than 20 working days. If you'd like to calculate the timeframe, you can
use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [2]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

If you have any questions while we're processing your request, please let
us know via [3][email address]

 

Ngā mihi  

OIA Services Team  

   

[4]Ministry of Health information releases  

[5]Unite against COVID-19 

 

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise...
2. http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&a...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
5. https://covid19.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

Link to this

From: OIA Requests


Attachment image001.png
7K Download


Kia ora ASE,

 

Thank you for your request for official information. The Ministry's
reference number for your request is: H202116783.

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. If
we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we will
notify you of an extension of that time frame.

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [2][email address]

 

-----Original Message-----
From: ASE <[FYI request #17734 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 27 November 2021 8:54 pm
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - MOH policy roles under COVID-19

 

Dear Ministry of Health,

 

I am seeking information relating to the role of The Ministry of Health in
the present response to COVID-19, and all matters under the guise of
COVID-19 response and management.

 

Is The Ministry of Health tasked with providing evidence-based policy
advice to the government, the media, and the public? How is The Ministry
of Health empowered to defend an evidence-based position, and push back
with an evidence-based position, under pressure from government public
health policies which are not evidence-based?

 

To what extent, and in what capacity, and by what means does The Ministry
of Health provide evidence-based public health policy advice to the
government, the media, and the public? What evidence-based public health
policy advice has The Ministry of Health provided to the government and
media? To what extent has the government abided by, or not abided by, such
evidence-based advice?

 

To what extent, and in what capacity, and by what means have public health
dictates by government influenced The Ministry of Health in advising the
media and the public, in ways that may be influenced more by dictate than
evidence? What government policy-based public health advice has The
Ministry of Health provided to the media and the public, when such advice
is not evidence-based? To what extent has The Ministry of Health abided
by, or not abided by, such policy advice when it is not evidence-based?

 

How does The Ministry of Health manage conflicts between evidence-based
policies and government imposed policies? What policies and practices are
in place to manage conflicts between evidence-based policies and
government imposed policies?

 

What safe-guards (policies, practices) are in place to prevent a feedback
loop between The Ministry of Health and government developing a
relationship that rewards or otherwise reinforces government policy
dictates at the expense of evidence-based policies? By what metrics are
such safe-guards assessed? How is The Ministry of Health performing in
this regard?

 

What safe-guards (policies, practices) are in place to protect The
Ministry of Health from "regulatory capture" (eg via advisory committees,
industries, private interests) from developing, promoting, or otherwise
reinforcing policies that are not evidence-based? By what metrics are such
safe-guards assessed? How is The Ministry of Health performing in this
regard?

 

What New Zealand data is The Ministry of Health monitoring, to ensure that
COVID-19 inoculations are "safe and effective", as claimed? eg, is The
Ministry of Health monitoring data relating to age stratified all-cause
mortality on the basis of inoculation status? Is The Ministry of Health
monitoring data relating to age-stratified diagnoses and deaths relating
to myocarditis, pericarditis, heart attacks, strokes, excess deaths,
sudden deaths, thrombocytopenia, embolisms, thromboses, or other clotting
disorders, pregnancies and miscarriages, and other diagnoses of concern
relating to COVID-19 inoculations, and correlating such data to
inoculation status? If this type of data is being monitored, I would very
much like to see it. If this type of data is not being monitored, then why
is this type of data is not being monitored? How can The Ministry of
Health confidently ensure the effectiveness of public health policies in
New Zealand if The Ministry of Health is not continuously

  monitoring the most relevant and current data? If this type of data is
not being monitored, what basis is there for asserting that COVID-19
inoculations are safe and effective in New Zealand?

 

Is it the role of The Ministry of Health to be actively monitoring this
type of data, to ensure that inoculations in New Zealand are of net public
health benefit? If that is not part of The Ministry of Health's role,
whose role is it?

 

Thank you,

ASE 2021112701

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FYI request #17734 email]

 

Is [4][Ministry of Health request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us using this form:

[5]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[6]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[FYI request #17734 email]
4. mailto:[Ministry of Health request email]
5. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
6. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

hide quoted sections

Link to this

From: OIA Requests


Attachment image001.jpg
2K Download

Attachment AS Emet Response.pdf
222K Download View as HTML


Kia ora AS Emet

 

 

Please find attached a letter regarding your request for information.

 

We look forward to your response.

 

 

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services Team

[1]www.health.govt.nz

[2]Ministry of Health information releases

[3]Unite against COVID-19

 

 

 

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. http://www.health.govt.nz/
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

Link to this

ASE left an annotation ()

Link to this

From: OIA Requests


Attachment image001.jpg
8K Download

Attachment H202116783 ASE FINAL.pdf
257K Download View as HTML


Morena AS Emet

 

Please find attached a response to your requests for official information.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Office of the Director-General | Ministry of Health

 

E: [1][email address]

 

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections

Link to this

ASE left an annotation ()

Complaint filed with Ombudsman.

https://fyi.org.nz/request/17872-consoli...

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Ministry of Health only: