MP praises mahi of health providers

• Published date: 05 November 2021

Ōtaki MP Terisa Ngobi said the focus of the visit to the region was on lifting rates of vaccinations within the Māori and Pasifika communities and recognising the contributions made by local health providers.

“Even though we have had amazing community push from health providers ... including Māori and Pasifika ... our pockets of low vaccination rates throughout our community represent where a majority of our Māori and Pasifika whānau reside,” said Ngobi.

This was also an opportunity for Minister Henare to speak about the new $120 million fund established earlier in October to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the Covid-19 Protection Framework.

According to a Ministry of Health press release, the fund will assist in reaching Māori not yet vaccinated including rangatahi, whānau without permanent housing, whānau in rural and remote locations, and whānau not well connected to health services.

First stop for Minister Henare was the Kimiora Health Centre, a recently opened nurse practitioner led satellite clinic of Horowhenua Community Practice, largely servicing the unmet health needs of Māori, Pasifika and high deprivation whānau.

The group who met with the minister at Kimiora also included representatives from Te Waiora Community Health Service and THINK Hauora’s Pasifika Health Service.

Minister Henare said he was proud of the great mahi put in by those involved with Māori and Pasifika health in Horowhenua.

“You do what suits your community ... you know how to connect ... [you’re] supporting [your] people in making the right decisions.”

Catherine Manning, Ngati Tukorehe, told the minister he needed to be seen on the podium more to represent whānau.

“They need to see somebody who looks and sounds like them [talking about Covid and the vaccine].”

Kimiora nurse practitioner Mitch Jennings, Wairoa, said it was important to remember many of the community who were not yet vaccinated were more likely to be hesitant around the decision rather than anti.

“The reality is our people are going to die [of this virus] … we need to make sure they have access to the right information,” agreed Manning.

Minister Henare’s next stop was Ōtaki, where he spent time talking to youth at Ōtaki College, which was revealing in regards to how rangatahi are thinking and feeling.

“We were given insights that could help us reach those young people who are still trying to make decisions [re...