Iwi Gives Christmas Present of Better Health

Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Rununga is giving the Tauranga community a Christmas present of a free doctor’s visit or visit with a nurse for community service card holders on Saturday December 5 at Arataki and Greerton.

The Iwi’s HBU Mobile Health Clinic will be at Arataki School Hall from 9am-12pm and at Greerton Community Hall from 1pm-4pm. It has been set up to cater for 14-24 year olds, but the doors will open to members of the community of all ages as a Christmas gift.

Te Runanga O Ngai Te Rangi Iwi spokesperson Paora Stanley says the Iwi decided to donate a clinic to all community service card holders, not just young people, because there is a clear need for the service for those outside the age group.

“We have numerous examples but most recently a family arrived at a clinic about 8.30pm and asking the doctor to see them. There were three generations from Nanna, Mum and toddlers. In the hour they spent with the doctor, Nanna was diagnosed with advanced diabetes and required urgent care, while Mum and the two children had severe cases of skin diseases. A great deal of the issues people who utilise the service have are often the result of the impoverished conditions they live in.”

Stanley says the clinic works alongside other social and health services which were able to move behind the HBU clinic to get this family well.

“There are often times when we have much older and much younger people pleading to be seen by the doctor and prepared to wait for as long as it takes to be seen.”

He says it was this obvious need that prompted the Iwi to offer the HBU clinic service as a Christmas gift to those less fortunate in the community.

HBU is a programme run by the Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Rununga developed as a result of research into the lives and needs of young people in the community – taking health service to areas where young people hang out at the times when they are there. What that research showed was while young people often carried a range of health problems, they would rarely go to a doctor or health centre.

Stanley says the Iwi is seeing a strong need in the areas of mental health.

“That is why we run a social work service alongside the doctor and nurse. Next to suicide issues, sexual health is one of the greatest areas of need that we have been addressing through the mobile clinic as have alcohol and drug use.”
The Iwi believes the closest such mobile medical unit like theirs which goes out and addresses health issues for young people is in California.

“We have been heartened by the way the service is being used since we made it easy for people to get to. We know that in the areas of sexual health, problems tend to move around a community rapidly so any time we can deal with an issue and prevent its spread it is a success.”

Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Rununga would like to wish everyone in the Tauranga community an enjoyable Christmas.