Indian nurses at Palmerston North Hospital have been told to stop speaking their native languages in public spaces at work, following a complaint from a patient.
According to NZ Herald, this directive was allegedly communicated by MidCentral Health’s head of human resources, Keyur Anjaria, in a WhatsApp message to the local Malayali community, raising concerns about workplace discrimination. Anjaria’s message, shared with around 1000 people, emphasised that nurses in public hospital areas should only communicate in English.
“Just remind them that they should only talk in English, preferably, unless they know how to speak sign language or Māori. They should talk only in English when they’re in a public setting. This matter has started picking up some speed.”
This comes after a similar incident, reported by 1 News, at Waikato Hospital last week and another in April at Christchurch Hospital, where staff were also told not to speak in any language other than English in clinical settings.
It is reported by local media that the clampdown at Palmerston North was prompted by two investigations at MidCentral Health last year.
The first followed a patient’s complaint about feeling “disrespected and excluded” when two nurses conversed in Malayalam. The second investigation, initiated by a charge nurse, revealed that a majority of the communication between Indian staff on one ward was conducted in their local dialect.
Anjaria’s message caused significant anxiety within the Indian nursing community. One member of the Malayali community told RNZ that many overseas nurses felt “undervalued and threatened” by the directive. They described the restriction on using their mother tongue as unreasonable, especially during break times, and criticised the method of communication via a public WhatsApp group.
Saju Cherian, a nurse and member of the Kerala Association, voiced concern over the directive, arguing that all cultures and languages should be respected. He warned that this incident might not be isolated, raising broader concerns about how such issues are being addressed within hospital management.
“It’s very concerning that they decided to deal with it in this way, I don’t know how in other issues – if this is the style of dealing with issues like this – what else could have happened… this person or other managers could have done?”
Te Whatu Ora, the national health agency, stated that the situation is under internal review. Meanwhile, Health Minister Shane Reti affirmed that while English is the base language in clinical settings, nurses should use their professional judgement when speaking other languages, particularly when engaging with patients who share the same native language.
While some experts support the focus on English in clinical settings, citing patient safety and reducing the risk of miscommunication. However, others see it as an unfair burden on international nurses, who are often hailed as heroes for their vital contributions to the healthcare system.
This issue has sparked wider debate across New Zealand, where international nurses now make up nearly 45% of the workforce. Aotearoa Lived Experience Network posted on Facebook that this issue issue highlights deep-rooted systemic racism within the healthcare system that impacts both healthcare professionals and patient care.
“Racism and discrimination not only harm the wellbeing of our healthcare professionals, but they also undermine the quality of care provided to patients.”
Meanwhile, Health Minister Shane Reti said that English was the base language at Health NZ, but there had been no directive from the Government.
“Nurses who want to speak their first language to each other and/or to patients where they feel it’s clinically safe and apply their clinical judgment, so they should be able to.”
As tensions rise, the controversy highlights the challenges of balancing linguistic diversity in New Zealand’s increasingly multicultural healthcare workforce. To create a more inclusive and effective health system, it’s crucial to address these patterns of discrimination and advocate for better support structures for all healthcare workers.
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