A general manager at Palmerston North Hospital, in a WhatsApp message, instructed Indian nurses to stop using their native language in public spaces at work.
This followed a patient complaint about feeling “disrespected” by nurses speaking Malayalam, leading to an internal investigation.
The audio directive echoed recent policies at other New Zealand hospitals, including Waikato and Christchurch, where staff were told to speak only English in clinical settings to avoid confusion and ensure patient safety.
While some support the directive, citing safety, it has sparked anxiety within the Malayali community, with claims that it “unfairly targets” Indian staff and undermines their “cultural identity.”
The directive has raised broader concerns about £workplace discrimination£ and the treatment of ethnic minority nurses.
Some community members, such as Saju Cherian, a nurse from the Kerela Association, criticized the message in a report by state media as “inappropriate” and feared it reflected systemic issues of “racism and unequal job opportunities”.
Health NZ’s Chief Executive and the Health Minister have since clarified that nurses should exercise professional judgment in language use, and communication in other languages should be allowed when safe and appropriate.
Image credit: Ahmed
I think that’s far enough, nothing worse than people around you, especially in settings like this, talking in a foreign language. It does give a feeling of isolation and vulnerability. It’s not racist either side but if you live in any country it is right to speak it’s native language, that’s why you came to live there, so you can join its society?
I totally agree. I am a white NZer and I have lived in South America in the past where I learned Spanish in order to function there. My wife is Indian and at work she wouldn’t dream of talking in Hindi. This is an English speaking country and there’s absolutely no room for anyone here who won’t learn our language – ESPECIALLY in a medical situation!
This backlash stinks of Wokeism. Piss off if you want your own culture so bloody badly.
This is an English speaking nation, if you wish to speak another language you know where the airport is……
But, but, “part Maori” is our only “official” language”??
What Maori?
Mixed race is no race
Just like the j*ws pretending to be Israel
Preposterous
But that’s all part of Judaism
Facts and the contrivances of the delusional, like this trans fad, are distinctly different things….(wink)
Mein Fuhrer … ah Yes!
Just as well they do learn and speak English then. They probably speak Hindi too.
Anyway, I think common sense prevails here. Keep it discreet, and their English will inprove in time.
I tell you it’s hard to speak French in France and Spanish in Mexico it takes a bit of courage as you’re going to make mistakes and people don’t really care for that either.
What would happen in America
If an ENOSH surgeon was to be carrying out procedures
And You said You didn’t want a negro doing the job?
When I was in Kochi our driver told us we ought to speak, or at least try to speak some Malayalam. So we learnt a very handy pharase which applied to him. “biyar vaangunnu”. I’ll give you a hint the first word sounds exactly like the english word.
I did learn the names of the vegetables at the grocery store. I once asked for ‘atta’ but no one understood me until I mimicked the native accent a little and moved my head, just slightly, from side to side.
And the guys at the Info Park, where we worked, very kindly taught me some Hindi when we were going to Pune. (That’s pronounced puna).
“aapaka kya naam hai?”
“mera naam sanjeet hai”.
His name was Sanjeet of course.
What was Interesting to me was naam comes from Sanskrit, as too are so many of our European language words. An unbelievably long list. Once you start to see some similarities it gets a little easier.
The immigration department is not doing their job. People with skills, training and the ability to assimilate are critically important to this country but they need effective induction programs. It is essential they be able to speak converse and write in English. The Ardern Government failed New Zealand by elevating Te Reo Maori and thus alienating the vast majority of kiwi’s. Now it is happening with new arrivals.