Subj : New Maori diagnostic, wellness centre a dream realised - local kuia
To   : All
From : News
Date : Tue Apr 16 2024 12:34 pm

The opening of a new $12 million wellness and diagnostic centre is a dream
come true for Maori in Hamilton, says one local.


After a six-year journey, Te Kohao Health opened the centre on Monday, named
Taakiri Tuu, with the aim to address longstanding health inequities for Maori.


Local kuia Mate 'Annie' Williams said the centre is a dream realised: "Having
a health centre such as this, it was a moemoea (dream) of our kaumatua . I'm
just so thankful to Lady Moxon and the team of Te Kohao Health to realise
this moemoea of those who are gone."


She said it will empower whanau to manage their health and well-being because
the help that they need is "right on our doorstep".


"We don't need to go running to the hospital anymore, we don't need to go
ringing up the ambulance, 'come, come, come', we have ours right here."

In a statement, Te Kohao Health said Maori have the poorest health status of
any ethnic group in Aotearoa New Zealand, are twice as likely to face
discrimination in health, and less likely to be referred for diagnostic tests.


"It is critical that Maori are seen when they need to be seen and diagnosed
early, because Maori are more than twice as likely to die from preventable
diseases. The five biggest killers of Maori are cardiovascular disease,
bowel, lung, breast, and cervical cancers," Lady Tureiti Moxon, managing
director of Te Kohao Health, said.


"We need to be proactive in prevention, and move away from constantly being
in crisis mode, which has been the habitual pattern concerning our people for
decades."


Whanau Ora and Maori Development Minister Tama Potaka commended the efforts
of Te Kohao Health in creating a "whanau-oriented and local-led solution" to
help alleviate some of the barriers that confront some of the most
"challenged communities".

The centre is located in the Hamilton suburb of Enderley. In 2017, it was
ranked as one of the highest suburbs for socio-economic deprivation in East
Hamilton.


Williams said over the years their community has often taken a lot of stick
for being 'that' community where "'it's gotta be in Enderley, it's gotta be
in Fairfield where that raru's (problem) coming from', you know?"


"[But] at the end of the day, raru or not, we all got to be looking at our
health and our well-being. Raru comes from unwellness and if we can embrace
one another, this is the kaupapa here that is set up for us all."


Williams said she spoke to her 16-year-old mokopuna about the how he felt
about the new centre.


"He says he doesn't have to go all the way over the other side of town
anymore. He can simply get out the door and walk around the corner.


"So his point was: there's no need for his age group to be sick anymore and
carry that suffer in silence when the doctor's around the corner."


Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII officially opened the new health
centre, unveiling the name Taakiri Tuu.


Whanau Ora and Maori Development Minister Tama Potaka, the chief executive of
Te Aka Whai Ora Riana Manuel, and Te Pati Maori MPs Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke
and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, who was the former chairperson of Te Kohao Health,
also attended the opening ceremony.

Glossary


moemoea - dream(s)


kaumatua - elders


raru - problem(s), issue(s)


mokopuna - grandchild(ren)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/02/04 (Windows/64)
 * Origin: S.W.A.T.S BBS Telnet swatsbbs.ddns.net:2323 (63:10/102)

.