Whare Oranga centre opens doors to primary care

Whare Oranga health centre opens doors to primary care services

AUCKLAND – 29 June 2009 – A community health care centre that provides marae-based GP and other clinical services officially opened Saturday on the Oraeroa Marae in Port Waikato, Franklin.

Speaking during opening ceremonies Saturday morning at Oraeroa Marae, Phyllis Hoete, of the Port Waikato Community Health & Social Services Trust, said: “My passion was sparked about eight years ago and, with help from iwi and our community, our dream has come true. The Whare Oranga clinic will provide better health for the people in the Oraeroa region.”

The Whare Oranga health care facility – the first in Counties Manuaku and one of three clinics planned on Tainui marae – was developed through a partnership with Port Waikato Community Health & Social Services Trust, Huakina Development Trust, ProCare Health, Tainui Mapo and Counties Manukau District Health Board. Whare Oranga is available to anyone in the community.

Tim Tahapehi, CEO of Huakina Development Trust, said: “We began strategic planning with Oraeroa in 2005, when the marae expressed a desire for a whare oranga. Now – having marae-based services delivering Maori responsive, tikanga-based programmes run by Maori for Maori – we have the opportunity to embed healthy messages and increase whanau ora for Maori and the community.”

The programme includes primary care services, which are provided by a GP and practice nurse during a weekly clinic. The programme also involves a rural outreach nurse, psychologist, podiatrist, self-management educator, community health coordinator, mirimiri, dietician and smoking cessation services.

“ProCare is committed to ensuring greater access to primary care services for whanau, particularly for those with lifelong health conditions,” says Dr Harley Aish, chairman of ProCare Network Manukau. “This programme not only brings essential primary care to the Oraeroa Marae but also services that help patients improve their health and well-being.”

ProCare and Huakina Development Trust also deliver the Marae Hauora health promotion programme on 11 marae in the Franklin area. Marae Hauora employs kaiwhakahaere or lifestyle coordinators to set up marae-based health activities, such as walking bowls, tai chi and dancing.

ENDS

ProCare represents nearly 500 GP members and 400 practice nurses in 173 medical practices, looking after the primary health needs of over 660,000 Aucklanders from Whangaparaoa and Helensville in the north to Waiuku in the south.

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