Huri Whenua Marks The Start Of Construction Of New Renal Facility In The Waikato

A Huri Whenua or sod-turning ceremony marking the start of construction for the new Waikato Regional Renal Centre took place today (19 April 2023) at the Waiora Waikato hospital campus in Hamilton.

The renal centre is planned to open in May 2024 and is the first stage of a wider building programme which includes the new Adult Acute Mental Health inpatient facility.

Leading the ceremony was mana whenua Te Haa o te Whenua o Kirikiriroa (Te Haa) with chairman, Sonny Karena and Te Whatu Ora Regional Director Hospital and Specialist Services for Te Manawa Taki, Chris Lowry jointly breaking the ground to commemorate the start of the build.

Also announced at the ceremony was the centre’s new name, Te Pureoranga, which was gifted by Te Haa. Te Pureoranga describes the process and outcome for what the renal service provides – patients and whānau accessing these critical life-saving services with the aspiration that their sacred rite to purification and the restoration of their wellbeing will be achieved in both physical and spiritual realms. The new centre will be referred as Te Pureoranga – Waikato Regional Renal Centre.

Te Whatu Ora Medical Director of Cancer and Chronic conditions for Waikato, Dr Andrew Henderson says Te Pureoranga – Waikato Regional Renal Centre will give us a new purpose-built high-tech building with more space to grow and a long-term home which meets international standards for our patients who are on dialysis.

“The new facility will bring all renal services together at one site providing 53 chairs for renal patients.

“This will enable us to deliver all our outpatient services within one dedicated building, with a range of specialists onsite to provide wrap-around care including dietitians, social workers, a podiatrist and a psychologist.

“Our renal patients are with the service for anywhere between six months to many years, and can spend several hours a week with us so having access to all these specialties in the one space is important, “ said Dr Henderson.

Approximately 110 staff will move to the new facility once built.

Ms Lowry thanked Te Haa for the gift of the name and the key role that they have played in the co-design of the renal centre and the mental health building.

“Today not only marks the start of construction of our new renal build but also is the start of our larger construction programme for the new Adult Acute Mental Health inpatient facility.

“These are both very significant developments and when they’re finished will make a real difference for how we can support people in our community.

“The successful and timely delivery of this large building programme is important for Waikato,” said Chris Lowry.

The Government gave the go-ahead for the new 64-bed mental health facility ($115 million) and the relocation and replacement of the Waikato Regional Renal Centre ($40 million) in July 2022, approving the Detailed Business Plan.

The mental health facility will be built in two phases as it will be situated on the old renal centre site. This allows for this new renal centre to be completed and the services to move across, making way for the mental health building to be completed.

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