Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 7, 1 July 1986 — Kanahele Testifies on Health Bill [ARTICLE]

Kanahele Testifies on Health Bill

A U.S. Senate Bill to provide native Hawaiians with comprehensive health care services and training has been sent to the Senate floor following committee approval. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who authored the bill, chaired the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs hearing last month. The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Inouye and Spark M. Matsunaga. Committee approval eame after testimony by Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III and representatives of other Hawaiian organizations. The bill calls for an appropriation of approximately $7.2 miūion for eaeh year of a five-year period. The funds are to be used for a preventive-care center in Honolulu and community health centers on eaeh of the islands. Among the services and benefits identified in the legislation are health care services for native Hawaiians, medical and mental health research and data collection, establishment of maternal and child care centers, eommunity health centers and scholarships for native Hawaiians in the health professions. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and "E Ola Mau", eomprised of native Hawaiian health professionals, will

determine whieh organizations are certified to receive the funds made available by the legislation. If approved by Congress and signed by the President, Kanahele said, "for the first time native Hawaiians will have a major health care program financed by the federal government and administered by native Hawaiians". It is also significant, Kanahele said, that the measure is the first pieee of federal legislation to recognize the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as the logical and appropriate government agency responsible for managing the finaneial aspects of major programs impacting on its native Hawaiian constituency. In his formal testimony, Kanahele pointed out that native Hawaiians suffer disproportionately from a number of health-related problems including abnormally high rates of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, eancer and dental disease. Kanahele told Senate Appropriations committee members: "These statistics clearly show that all is not well in 'paradise'. Although our elimate may be idyllic, the quality of life for native Hawaiians is not. Native Hawaiians, like other native Americans, have not been able to share in the good fortune of others in their state".