May 14, 2025
On Wednesday, May 14th, Ismatt Niazi shared with us his experiences as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Waikato region of New Zealand. He also shared about New Zealand what he saw and got to visit when he was there from September 2024 (Spring time) through April 2025 (winter).
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses – the North Island and the South Island – and over 600 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The country’s varied topography an sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand’s capital is Wellington, but Auckland is it’s most populous city.
Ismatt said that Wellington is probably used most by movie producers, because many a TV or movie has been made in that city. You could say it is, “The Movie Capital.”
There are very strict rules when it comes to the animal kingdom in New Zealand. They want to protect those animals. Ismatt said they did not experience any earthquakes while in New Zealand. There are many different languages and lots of people. One of New Zealand’s assets is it’s tourism. You find the mountains in the South Island. Since Auckland is the largest city, the second largest is ChristChurch.
New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. You can find active volcanoes, spectacular caves, deep glazier lakes, verdant valleys, dazzling fjords, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps. These all contribute to New Zealand’s scenic beauty which many tourists come to see. New Zealand has a unique array of vegeation and animal life, which developed during the country’s prolonged isolation. It is the sole home of the long-beaked, flightless kiwi.
Ismatt worked in a medical facility in Hampton. There are two medical sectors and he worked in the European sector.
New Zealand Healthcare System – New Zealand’s healthcare system is a universal public system. It was one of the top 20 healthcare systems in the world, on a par with the U.S. and the U.K., but Ismatt said it is in shambles today. In 1938, the Social Security Act came into being and that is when New Zealand brought into law the universal and free healthcare. This Act requires that all New Zealand citizens have equal access to the same standard of treatment in an integrated, preventative health care system.
The cost of healthcare in New Zealand varies. The public healthcare system in New Zealand operates as a single-payer healthcare system. The government pays for the majority of healthcare costs using public tax money – up to 9% of New Zealand’s GDP. This means that for citizens and permanent residents, healthcare is either free or low-cost. Hospital and specialist care are covered if the patient is referred by a general practitioner. The free medical services can include diagnostic tests, immunizations, cancer treatment, and appointments, and, for children, dental care and prescription medication.
Besides tourism, and area is Agriculture. Ismatt said that right now New Zealand is struggling financially, and many people are leaving to live and work in Australia.