Turanga Health’s Covid-19 efforts prevent Gisborne Hospital overload

Between May 2021 and October 2022, Turanga Health ran 347 clinics at community-based sites and administered 20,081 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Paul Rickard

A research programme shows Turanga Health’s 2020-21 Covid-19 vaccination campaign saved lives and prevented Gisborne Hospital from being overwhelmed.

The social return on investment (SROI) research – conducted by Otago University and Turanga Health and funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand – is a way of measuring how much good something does, not only in money but in helping people, the environment and the community.

The research also translated te ao Māori values, experiences and outcomes into numerical values as part of the SROI research.

Government funding of $5.95 million over three years was allocated to the vaccination programme in Tairāwhiti.

The programme generated a significantly higher social value, amounting to $28.14m, according to the research.

Once all of the Government’s investment was considered, the social return on investment ratio was $4.73 of value for every $1 invested.

Turanga Health chief executive Reweti Ropiha says social return on investment research shows the health provider was a valuable organisation for the Government to invest in during the peak of Covid-19.

Turanga Health chief executive Reweti Ropiha said hard-working taxpayers expected smart government investment and this research showed Turanga Health was a valuable organisation to invest in.

Without the vaccine programme, Gisborne Hospital could have been overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases, straining healthcare services and impacting non-Covid patients.

“Māori were better protected and whānau could continue working and contributing to their communities. More than just a financial figure, the numerical value has a real-world impact.”

“The Covid-19 vaccination programme also reduced the severity of Government-imposed restrictions in the region and kept the regional economy going,” Ropiha said.

Between May 2021 and October 2022, Turanga Health ran 347 clinics at community-based sites and administered 20,081 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The organisation’s efforts accounted for 18% of all vaccinations in the Tairāwhiti region and 23% of all doses administered to Māori in Tairāwhiti.

Ropiha said some of the significant changes for whānau vaccinated by Turanga Health included social inclusion, protection from infection-related death and preservation of whakapapa.

Turanga Health staff benefited from increased skills and mana, particularly for kaiāwhina, who became vaccinators during the pandemic.