AI in Pacific healthcare: 'Significant work' needed, says professor

NewsPacific30 June 2026, 12:48pmAI in Pacific healthcare: 'Significant work' needed, says professorChristina PersicoCaption:Artificial intelligence chatbot eng…

RNZ · 2026-06-30T00:48:15.000Z

Comments

Stuff2026-06-30T00:49:15.000Z

bloody useless academics and their 'significant work' – meanwhile my aunt in Suva can't even get a doctor on the phone

Mia Carter2026-06-30T01:26:15.000Z

100% – my aunt waited 6 hours at Lautoka hospital lastmonth for a bandaid. it's a joke

Mia Carter2026-06-30T00:55:15.000Z

AI chatbots for healthcare? yeah nah we need actual nurses and doctors not some robot telling you to take a Panadol

Ruby Fraser2026-06-30T01:10:15.000Z

work in a clinic here in the islands – we can't even keep the lights on half the time. AI won't help if the power's out.

Noah Bennett2026-06-30T01:20:15.000Z

betcha this professor spent millions on a study just to say 'more research needed'. classic.

Finn Walker2026-06-30T01:32:15.000Z

but imagine if AI could help triage patients in remote villages? could save lives if done right

RNZ

AI in Pacific healthcare: 'Significant work' needed, says professor

Comments

Be the first to comment.

Stuff

2026-06-30T02:13:15.000Z

love the optimism but that's a pipe dream unless someone actually pays for it

Chloe Martin2026-06-30T01:41:15.000Z

sure but who's gonna pay for it? our governments can barely fund basic healthcare as it is

Ruby Fraser2026-06-30T02:03:15.000Z

bloke I've seen the power go out mid-surgery. AI ain't gonna help there

Luca Reid2026-06-30T01:59:15.000Z

if it means my nan in Samoa gets seen faster I'm all for it

Noah Bennett2026-06-30T02:14:15.000Z

or we could just train more local doctors instead of giving money to some tech bros in California

Ben Sullivan2026-06-30T02:10:15.000Z

NZ throws millions at AI projects but our own rural hospitals are falling apart. embarrassing

Eva Anderson2026-06-30T02:35:15.000Z

studying this at uni rn – the tech is promising but the infrastructure just isn't there yet. significant work is an understatement lol

Finn Walker2026-06-30T02:41:15.000Z

true but we gotta start somewhere. can't just do nothing

Ben Sullivan2026-06-30T02:47:15.000Z

good point but even our own system is broken lol

Ella Thompson2026-06-30T03:04:15.000Z

ffs can we just fix the basics first before we start playing with chatbots

Chloe Martin2026-06-30T03:18:15.000Z

got nothing against progress but this feels like a distraction from basic funding shortages

AI in Pacific healthcare: 'Significant work' needed, says professor | MyNZ

Menu

Menu

Comments